


The Reign of Kane

by Ultra



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Affairs, Alternate History, Alternate Universe, Awkward Conversations, Dysfunctional Family, Extramarital Affairs, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Family Secrets, Gen, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, High School, POV Veronica Mars, Siblings, Teen Angst, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-26
Updated: 2008-11-26
Packaged: 2019-09-02 08:40:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 80,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16783498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: Veronica feels she doesn't fit in with the Kanes, though she loves her siblings, Lilly and Duncan. A new face in town is intrigued by her, and in time she finds Logan Echolls may be what she's been missing in her life, amongst other things.





	1. Chapter 1

_I know what you’re thinking. You’re looking at me, sitting here crying in my ivory tower, and you’re thinking, ‘What the hell does she have to be sad about? Doesn’t she have everything?’ Not to sound like a walking cliché, but sometimes its when you have everything and you’re surrounded by crowds, that you feel the most lost and alone._

_I guess for you to really understand I’m going to have to explain a little better than that. Well, first things first, my name is Veronica Kane, and I live in the biggest house in the prestigious 90909 zipcode, in Neptune, California. My father’s company, Kane Software, invented streaming video for the internet, and my family as a whole is the richest and most powerful for miles._

_Despite Daddy’s millions, I am the one who seemed to maintain a sense of reality and disdain for money we have an abundance of. Maybe it’s watching my sister Lilly be slowly corrupted by the wonder of getting exactly what she wants when she wants it, or maybe its more the influence of my twin brother, Duncan. He’s much calmer and more sensible than our older sister, though even he and I are not the best of friends anymore. I guess you could say we grew apart, which is weird for twins even more so than it would be for any ordinary siblings, but that's how it was._

_See, this is the part where I sound awful and ungrateful. For a long time now I haven’t really felt like a part of my own family. I know, it’s crazy. Even if you found out you’d been adopted, would you really question it if the people that surrounded you were as rich and all-powerful as the Kanes? Of course you wouldn't, and I didn't either. besides, I’d seen my birth certificate, and as out of the group I felt, I knew I was indeed the product of Jake and Celeste Kane. Still, whilst all the ordinary kids, th ones from the other side of town, were lying on their couches dreaming of having their own mansion with a swimming pool and a pony, I was here, hiding out in the pool house, writing in my diary about my own wishes to discover that I’m one of them. I don’t fit in this world of chandeliers and dinner parties and photo opportunities. I want to run free through the streets without being recognised. I want to have a dog I can walk on the beach, instead of the stupid toy poodle types my Mom insists I should want. I want to hang out with the kids at school that work at the Sack and Pack, and put blue streaks in their hair, instead of always sitting at the same table, eating the same take-out, listening to the constant bitching and back-stabbing that made me sick. What I really want most is..._

“Veronica!” the booming voice of her mother called her name, and the little blonde quickly shut her diary and clicked the lock shut, throwing the book into her bag. “Veronica, why are you never anywhere I expect to find you?” Celeste asked with exasperation as the blonde, pulled her bag onto her shoulder and got up from the bed.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Maybe you expect o find me in all the wrong places,” Veronica said, much to her mothers displeasure.

“I don’t wish to start this argument with you now,” Celeste said coolly, adjusting her short for the second time since she’d appeared in the doorway. “Get yourself inside, Veronica, and get dressed in something appropriate. We have company.”

“Company?” her younger daughter echoed as she followed on into the house, only to have Lilly appear and fling an arm around her shoulders.

“Who’s got company?” she asked with a grin, pulling the baseball cap off her sister head, and encouraging Veronica’s hair to fly free, something the younger blonde protested at, with an indignant ‘hey’ as she pushed Lilly’s hands away.

“Lilly, where on Earth have you been?” Celeste snapped.

“Chill, Mommy Dearest.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve been getting ready to go out, and now I’m ready, out is where I’m going,” she said smartly as she headed for the front door. “Don’t wait up,” she called, leaving hastily, though Celeste yelled for her to stop and come back this instant.

_Lilly is a free spirit, that's what I call her anyway. I know there are plenty of others that have different words to describe her that aren’t half so flattering. I’ve even heard Mom and Dad use a few that people should never have to use for their own daughter. Really, you’d think our parents would love me so much more, given that mostly Lilly and me were polar opposites, but no. Somehow, despite her crazy behaviour and ability to piss of everybody from her own father to the town Sherriff and back, she was still the favourite. I sometimes wondered if what I really needed to do to fit in this family was to act out just like Lilly did. Drink too much, smoke too much, sleep with as many boys as I could lay my hand son, but no, it’s just not my style. Truth be told I only ever had one boyfriend and that didn’t exactly end well. Troy was nice enough, at least he seemed to be; good-looking, rich enough that his family had the slip next to ours at he marina, and overly nice to me. Unfortunately, his near-constant good mood was not a natural character trait, but instead chemically enhanced. Drugs weren’t a problem for Troy until he got caught with a whole bunch of them, less than a month after he and I started dating. I can’t exactly say he broke my heart, we really hadn’t known each other for me to feel anything more than mild embarrassment as he was dealt with first by the cops, then by his dad, the latter of which was suggested to have been worse..._

“Come in,” Veronica called as somebody tapped on her bedroom door, her diary being once again tucked safely out of sight into the bag that almost never left her sight.

“Hey, Veronica.” Her brother smiled as he came into her room. “Mom asked me to come check you were ready.”

“I wondered how long I’d got until she sent out the search party.” The blonde rolled her eyes. “What exactly is the big deal about this new family anyway?” she asked as she got up off her bed and stomped over to the walk in closet. “It’s not like Mom and Dad don't know enough movie stars already.” She sighed.

“I guess it’s a bigger deal because the Echolls are going to be neighbours,” Duncan told her, as he moved to look out of his sisters bedroom window, down onto the drive where the new family were due to arrive any moment. “Mom’s got it into her head that if they don’t invite them over fast enough we’ll be cut out of Neptune's elite social circle.”

“Heaven forbid!” Veronica gasped with fake shock as she appeared from her closet, changed from her striped shirt and khaki shorts into a smart white blouse and skirt ensemble that her mother would approve of. “What do you think?” she asked her brother, who was himself in smart attire, a blue diamond pattern sweater and dark pants. “Presentable enough for red-carpet regulars?” she asked with a smirk.

“Perfect,” Duncan assured her, as she forced her feet into some crippling shoes, protesting the whole time about having to dress up in her own home just for the sake of a family she’d never met and didn't particularly wish to.

Duncan was used to his twin sister's rants, just as he was equally as acclimatised to Lilly’s own brand of outspokenness. He loved both his siblings dearly, though if he must choose, he found he loved Veronica more. Maybe it was because they were twins, albeit fraternal, perhaps that was where their bond came from. Tough over the years Duncan had to admit, even the love he showed for his sister did not encourage her to be a part of family occasions. She always seemed so much happier alone, locked away in her room or hiding out in one of her other usual places be it around the house or in town. She liked the pool house on the Kane estate, or if she could get further afield she’d be tucked in a corner of Java the Hut. At school it was the Ground Floor Girls Bathroom, or under the bleachers from where she could see the world but he world could not see her. Duncan knew all of her hiding places, at least he thought he did. Veronica let him think so, because it made it all the easier to find new spots to be alone. Now it seemed alone was the last state Veronica would find herself in as she and Duncan opened the door at the bottom of the staircase to find their parents and the guests that had already arrived.

_So, first impressions of the wonderful Echolls family. First things first, wonderful isn’t exactly true. As far as Mrs Echolls is concerned, a closer description would be drunk, or possibly hungover. Honestly, if there was a word for the state that its directly between those two extremes, that would be the one I would use for Lynn. She seems nice enough, though the looks she shoots her husbands way when she thinks no-one is watching suggests to me that he might be the reasons she craves a very large vodka and lime._

_Aaron Echolls. There was no denying that, if you see any of his older films, he was a hunk in his day. Now his age is showing, and unless you’re one of those women that grew up and grew old along with him, I really don’t think you could say he was all that attractive. He talks business pretty well with my Dad, for a guy who smiles and keeps his hair and teeth straight and clean for a living. Okay, so maybe tats a little harsh. I guess he can act and that is a skill, but I personally am not so awed by the movie star type as, say, my sister Lilly might be. I’m not sure if she knew we were meeting this particular family today when she breezed out like she did, or if maybe Aaron just wans’t on her list of hotties anymore. Either way, Aarons attention was instead diverted to myself and my Mom, mostly me, which if I’m honest freaks me out a little. I’m not exactly a little girl anymore, but at sixteen I am the same age as his son, and as such not to be leered at by men like Aaron Echolls, especially not in front of my parents!_

_That brings us to that son I mentioned. Logan Echolls is... probably about as expected to be here as I am. He looks as though he has been shoe-horned into those smart clothes under protest, and would much rather be anywhere but here, making small talk with my brother who, as sweet as he is and as much as I love him, could on occasion bore for his country! From what I can tell, Logan seems like most other rich young men I know. Polite and quiet in company, the look on his eyes when he'd been introduced to me, the way he kissed my hand and made a big deal of looking me over, it all suggests that beneath the nice boy exterior lies another form, that often seen but frequently reviled rich-boy persona that thinks he can get anything and anyone he wants. I’d like to state, here and now, for the record that..._

“Hey, what you got there?”

“Just a simple book of none of your damn business,” Veronica snapped softly so nobody’s parents heard as she slammed her diary shut and hid it from sight beneath the cushions of her seat.

“Uh-huh.” Logan nodded, looking amused by her words and actions. “I thought your average girl got over the whole ‘My Secret Diary’ phase by now.”

“What makes you think, Mr Echolls,” the blonde said crisply as Logan sat down beside her in the next chair, “that I’m an average girl?”

“I have no doubt that I’m completely wrong with my assumption, Miss Veronica Kane.” He smirked in response, glad that he’d finally given Duncan the slip so that he might come over and talk more to the boy’s twin sister. “But until I get to know you better, how am I ever supposed to know how average you are?” he asked her with a look.

“How about you take my word for it, and stop talking to me,” she suggested, getting to her feet and taking her diary with her, crossing paths with her brother as she exited the room and he came in carrying something he’d presumably fetched so show his newest friend.

“Did you say something to my sister?” Duncan frowned as he sat in the seat Veronica had just vacated.

Logan just smiled and shrugged non-comitally. Heaven only knew why the little blonde seemed to dislike him so much on just a few minutes acquaintance form across the room, but Logan planned to change her not-so-good opinion of him. She intrigued him already, and he wanted to know more about her. Too many girls were willing to throw themselves at his feet, eager to please for the sake of his status and money. Here was a girl who was his equal in fortune, and possibly even his equal in sarcastic wit and sharp tongue. Maybe moving to Neptune wasn’t the worst idea his parents had ever had, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

_Here we are again at Neptune High, a school of extremes. On the one side you have us; the elite, the rich and pretty, commonly known as the 09ers because of the prestigious zipcode in which we live. On the other side of the divide you have your ordinary people, whose parents have ‘real’ jobs and whose cars are held together by the proverbial spit and string._

_Sometimes I crave to trade places with the unknown and unnoticed, though I know they’re probably sitting across the quad, staring at me from behind their pudding cups and wishing they were here, crammed into the corner by my brother and sister, along with Dick Casablancas, Madison Sinclair, and various other idiots and bitches that have social status._

_Maybe those words are a little strong. Dick and the guys really aren’t so bad, in fact some of them, like Casey for example, could be quite sweet. For the girls though, with them I have to stand by my first description, they really are bitches! I’m afraid to say my sister, Lilly, is quite capable of being the queen of the crowd, and as such the nastiest of the nasty girls. It’s not like it’s me she’s talking about or to most of the time, and I have no real reason to care for the boys and girls that are shot down by her venom, but once in a while, it bothers me._

“Hey, V,” Lilly demanded her sister’s attention, snapping her fingers in the younger girls face. “You gonna sit there scribbling away in your little book all day or actually talk to us?” She rolled her eyes, as Veronica closed up her book and folded her arms on top of it.

“Something in particular you want to talk about, Lilly?” she asked, squinting against the suns light as she looked up at her sister who was now sat on the table instead of the bench around it. “I mean, if you needed a sisterly gossip-fest, I was available all weekend.”

“Oh please, Veronica!” Lilly complained. “Do not start ragging on me for my partying!” she urged her sister. “As if I don’t get enough of that from Mom and Dad.” She sighed dramatically.

“Your folks are wound pretty tight.” Dick laughed. “But hey, you at least got to meet the new guy before anybody else, right?” he said, sliding along the bench to squeeze in close to Veronica who was less than impressed.

“Some of us met Logan Echolls, yes.” She smiled sweetly up at Lilly who just laughed, faking an over-dramatised yawn.

“Been there, done that,” she said with a glint in her eyes that the gang knew only too well.

“Lilly!” Duncan’s tone was reprimand enough, but his sisters weren’t exactly the easiest too control, not even Veronica.

“Cool down, little brother,” Lilly urged him. “Honestly, you’re getting as prudish as Mom and Dad,” she said tiredly as she hopped down off the table into the waiting arms of the nearest nameless guy, offering him favours if he bought her lunch.

Veronica shook her head as she watched Neptune’s good time girl, also known as her sister, walk away with a giggle and a wave over her shoulder.

“Dude, she is so cool,” Dick laughed, his arm going around Veronica’s shoulders of it’s own accord.

“Cool?” Veronica echoed with an unimpressed look. “Yeah, not the word I would’ve used.” She rolled her eyes, stuffing her book into her bag and preparing to move.

“Hey, what’s up, Ronnie?” he asked as she pushed his arm away and urged him to get up so she could get out.

“Nothing.” She smiled, after all it really wasn’t his fault she wanted out. “I just... I have to go... to the bathroom,” she lied easily as she hurried away.

“Dude, what’s her deal?” the blond shook his head as he watched her go, turning to Duncan for explanation.

“I don’t know, man,” he admitted, wondering if it was worth going after his twin.

They’d been closer as kids, but as they’d got older had steadily grown apart, maybe because when boys and girls hit puberty things changed, but he wasn’t so sure that should apply to siblings in quite the same way as friends or whatever. All Duncan knew was that neither of his sisters seemed overly thrilled to have him around lately, and both, in their own special ways, seemed to like to embarrass him in company.

_This is one of many places that might be called my Fortress of Solitude. Okay, so I’m not exactly alone here beneath the bleachers, with unknown numbers of students and faculty members passing over head, the football team and cheerleaders having practice a few yards away on the field, and the rest of the school within spitting distance of me, but in spite all those crowds of people who wish they knew me or were me, down here I feel much more at home._

_The older I get, the more I find I like my own company better than that of my family and/or so-called friends. Maybe it’s because I’m sub-consciously telling myself it’s true, maybe there’s another better reason that I just haven’t found yet, maybe..._

“Maybe I underestimated the sneakiness of you Neptunians,” said a voice a few yards away, and Veronica looked up sharply from her book to see Logan Echolls standing there.

“Since you’re the one who just appeared out of nowhere in a place I’ve been coming to for a couple of years, I’d say you were the sneaky one,” Veronica said smartly, capping her pen and pushing her things back into her bag.

“Touche.” Logan smirked as he came to lean on a wooden post right beside where she was sitting. “So, since I’m not allowed to ask about the mysterious big book you seem to spend all your time scribbling in,” he said, as he stared down at her. “How about we start with why you might be hiding under the bleachers at lunch?” he asked her.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Veronica shot back. “Though I think before that I’d like to know why you’re even here at all, at this school,” she pressed. “I didn’t see you in any classes, and nobody made any kind of announcement,” she mused, with a shake of her head.

“It’s easier when you’re a well-known to keep your head down,” Logan told her. “Though honestly I don’t know why I’m telling this to the daughter of the wealthiest and most famous man in town.”

“Maybe not anymore.” She shrugged, moving to get up and considering just a moment before taking the hand he offered to pull her to her feet. “You don’t think the great Aaron Echolls matters more to a town than a business tycoon?” she asked him. “People are more shallow for looks than money.” She smirked, brushing dust from her butt and picking up her bag. “Just ask my sister,” she muttered to herself as she walked past her latest acquaintance.

“Ooh, do I sense a little jealous streak, Veronica?” he checked, and the smirk which appeared to be his trademark was ever present when she turned around to face him with indigence in her eyes.

“I would never be jealous of Lilly.” She shook her head, almost amused by his words when she thought about it a moment. “Especially after what she just told me about you and her.”

“Me and her?” Logan frowned, looking entirely oblivious to her meaning.

Veronica didn’t know whether his indifference and confusion were real or not and though she wished she didn’t care either way, a part of her did, and she stopped herself from walking away as originally planned.

“C’mon, Logan.” She smiled. “I do sometimes read magazines, and I watch TV,” she told him. “Your reputation proceeds you where girlfriends are concerned.”

“You believe everything you hear or read?” Logan asked her, as if it were more of a challenge than just a simple question.

“That depends on the source and the topic,” Veronica shot back, hitching her bag further onto her shoulder. “Teenage boys are what they are, and I should know, I do have a twin brother.”

“Are you always so quick to judge, Veronica, or should I feel special?” Logan smirked as he leaned his back against one of the wooden posts beneath the bleachers, and folded his arms across his chest as he observed her.

“Do you always have to answer every question you’re asked with another question?” she checked, pushing her hair out of her face.

“Do you?” he replied, as they stared each other down, not really knowing why they were even having this conversation.

Veronica considered answering him with something witty and clever but nothing really came to mind, a fact she attributed to the way he was looking at her. His eyes felt they were burning into her, but not in a bad way, whilst a smirk sat on his lips that ought to be just annoying but instead was both that and kind of sexy.

“I don’t have time for this,” she said eventually with a shake of her head and a smile borne more out of amused confusion than anything else.

She hurried out from her hiding place, careful not to be spotted, after all, she didn’t want everyone knowing where she spent her time. The whole point of being down there was to be alone, and yet it seemed she was to expect at least one visitor once in a while.

_Logan Echolls. Here’s the skinny on the new boy in town, if you believe the girly magazines and the E! Hollywood stories, son of movie stars Aaron and Lynn, Logan Echolls was born to fame and fortune, and took to it like a duck to water. Though at the tender age of sixteen he has yet to star in any of his own movies, he is already predicted to be one of the brightest stars of our generation. With the fame and the fortune comes fast cars, wild parties, and girls... lots of girls, which may or may not include my sister, Lilly._

_So, that’s what the news reporters say, it’s what seemed to be the likeliest option for his character, and yet, there might just be a little more to it than that. Growing up in a high class and privileged family, I’m used to judging and being judged. I try not to work off first impressions too much, they can be unfair, but most of the time it’s only human to go on the information that’s available and not worry too much that you might not have all the evidence._

_I know I sound like a woman of the law right now, I guess I hung around the Sheriffs station a little too much over the Summer. It’s all pretty interesting there though, and Sheriff Mars never complains when I ask questions or whatever. Mom and Dad have no idea that’s where I was everytime they couldn’t find me. They never liked the Sheriff all that much, though he never did anything to us as far as I know. There’s no possible way my Dad could ever have had any trouble with the law, he’s way too straight for that._

_Anyway, I had a point when I started writing here, and it wasn’t about Sheriff Mars or my family, it was about Logan Echolls. Given the apparent size of his ego and the fact he seems so interested in what I write here, his head would probably swell to the point of explosion if he knew he was the main topic of just one entry, but then I highly doubt I’ll ever be telling him about this._

_He seemed weirdly shy about joining the ranks of Neptune High’s 09er elite, which is actually interesting for a person who was having photo ops lined up for him whilst he was being bottle-fed champagne. Still, the boy has spirit, and that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes those that surround me can be a little to eager to please. A conversation with someone that doesn’t either think of me as boring same-old Veronica Kane, or some kind of princess that should be stared at like something under a microscope instead of talked to, well, it’s nice, I guess._

“Hey, V!” Lilly called for a second time from the half open doorway. “Honestly, little sister, you’re getting way to into the contemplative writing thing.” She shook her head.

“Look at it his way, Lilly, if I’m writing down what I think instead of saying it, at least I’m not bugging anybody.” Veronica smiled, as she put her book and pen away, and Lilly came further into the room.

“You don’t bug me,” she said quickly, almost as if she might have been offended by the almost-accusation that she didn’t want her little sister around. “You know if you wanna talk to me, about anything, it’s cool,” she said, sitting herself down on the end of the bed and kicking her feet like a child. “I know we’ve both been kind of doing our own thing lately but we’re still best friends, right?”

“Sure,” Veronica nodded her agreement.

She did love her sister, and Duncan too, it was just that lately it felt as if something was missing. It was nothing they’d done, or that she’d done come to that, things were just different, and the older they got the more noticeable it was.

“I ran into Logan Echolls today,” she said, mostly for something to say, though there was a point to it, Veronica realised as she continued. “After I left you guys, at lunch.”

“He was at Neptune High?” Lilly checked. “I didn’t see him.”

“It turns out our resident movie stars son is not such a fan of big entrances as you’d think.” She shrugged. “And if you make the disgusting joke that could follow that sentence, I will throw up rather spectacularly,” she added, holding her hand up to hold her sisters words just the moment Lilly opened her mouth.

“If you knew what was coming, Veronica, dear, then your mind’s not as pure as everybody thinks.” Lilly grinned.

“You should never trust what other people think or say about a person,” the younger blonde said, realising as the words fell off her lips that it was very similar to something Logan had said to her just a few hours ago. “Which reminds me, did you meet Logan before like you said? Or was that just for the benefit of our celebrity loving friends?” she asked with an eye-roll.

“I met him, kind of,” Lilly admitted with a smile, “but we didn’t...”

“Uh-huh.” Veronica nodded, not sure why she’d even cared enough to ask, but there it was, the truth from her sister.

Lilly Kane really didn’t care much for the truth most of the time, gossip and rumour and the like were much more her thing, but if there was one person she would always be honest with when asked, it was her little sister. She was her only ally and most trusted friend. In that role, at least, Veronica Kane felt as if she belonged.


	3. Chapter 3

_Okay, I tried, but it’s just no use. For a whole ten minutes this lunch break I sat with the gang and attempted to take part in whatever they were talking about. Unfortunately it seems that somewhere along the line I just grew up a little too much to appreciate the jokes that Dick and the guys make, and I was already lacking in the definite bitchy undertone that would help me fit in with my sister’s best friends such as Madison Sinclair, who had once been described on the bathroom wall as... well, I’m sure you can imagine. All I know is that her so-called relationship with Dick is falling apart before our eyes and she is now the only one who thinks its retrievable from the trash, despite the fact she’s making no efforts to do that._

_Anyway, I’m going away from the point, which is that no matter how hard I try, I just don’t feel like I fit here anymore, at this table, in this place. It’s not that I’m not treated well, though digs about the fact I’m mostly attached to my notebook are wearing a little thin. Casey said he thought it was cool, and that maybe one day I’ll be a published author or something. I couldn’t be bothered to explain that I’m not actually writing a novel, I was happy for a smile and some genuine acceptance of what I choose to do._

_Right now I’m starting to wonder if the deciding factor in whether the great Madison and Dick love affair continues will by the new boy in town. Our Mr Casablancas seems almost besotted with Logan Echolls, and hasn’t left him alone since he found him in class this morning. They’re sitting across from me now, unaware that the book resting on my knees contains the story of their new and blossoming friendship..._

“Hey, Ronnie!” Dick Casablancas snapped his fingers in front of her face until he got her attention. “Are you writing porn in there?” he asked her with a smirk that Logan seemed to find infectious. “’Cause that’s the only thing that’d have me so sucked in!” he laughed like the idiot he was, though Veronica could never dismiss him as just that, he was also kind of sweet sometimes when he tried.

“Yes, Dick, I’m writing an erotic novel just for you,” she told him with a smile and an eyeroll that showed she was lying as she got up from her seat and moved to walk away.

“Really?” the blond called behind her, still not quite grasping the concept of sarcasm yet.

As Veronica walked away, Logan craned his neck to watch her retreating form. He was still trying to figure out what made this girl tick. She was different, that was for sure, different to the vapid whores he knew from his old school, and yet not exactly like the bitchy types he’d met in Neptune either. She didn’t seem intimidated by anything, not even him or his family name. That wasn’t surprising when one considered that her own kin was just as rich and powerful, but he still hadn’t expected her to be quite like this.

Lilly was the epitome of spoilt brat, and he guessed her brother and sister would be just the same. Instead he found Duncan to be pretty decent, if not a little too quiet and geeky, and Veronica to be entirely intriguing.

“Hey, D-man, what’s up with your sister?” he asked the young man who sat in the corner, concentrating more on his lunch than anything else.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Veronica is kind of a law unto herself.” He smiled wryly as Dick laughed.

“Yeah, she’s gone a little crazed over the summer,” he agreed in his own way. “She shouldn’t try so hard to be a geek or whatever.” He shook his head. “She’s got looks, she doesn’t need brains, right, Logan?” He grinned.

“I guess.” He smiled back at his new friend, deciding it was probably a safe bet to agree, after all, he didn’t want to mess this new friendship thing up.

It’d be nice to have some buddies at his new school, and the 09er crowd seemed no worse than you’re average band of rich teens. The guys talked about cars and surfing and such that he was interested in, whilst the girls were nice to look at and mostly kept their bitching to themselves. Still, as much as he could get used to spending time with these people, he couldn’t help wanting to get to know Veronica a little better than he even knew them.

“You know, Dick, I’m kind of sick of hearing you talking about Veronica Kane all the time,” Madison snapped suddenly, pulling Logan from his thoughts. “I’m your girlfriend, remember?” she reminded him, as if he could ever forget.

“Sure thing, babe.” He nodded, rolling his eyes when she wasn’t looking but his buddies were.

“Like my sister would ever date you anyway, Dick.” Duncan smirked, pushing his lunch tray away as he was done with his food. “She’s too smart for that.”

“Hey, I don’t need to be smart!” the surfer-boy protested. “I have the three things all women want,” he said, holding up a hand and counting off points on his fingers. “I’m hot and I’m rich.”

Logan, Duncan,and the others stared at him with amused looks, waiting for the third point that never came.

“Three things?” Casey prompted. “That’s only two, Dick,” he pointed out, as Logan bit his lip.

“Hey, I count hot twice.” Dick grinned. “You have to when you look this good.”

That caused a ripple of laughter throughout the group, until Madison started up her bitching again, and conversation separated until Logan realised nobody would really notice if he slipped away. It seemed Duncan was now helping some girl with a homework assignment and the other girls were gossiping, whilst some of the other guys went for food, and another took a call on his cell.

Now was the perfect opportunity to escape and go find the one girl he really wanted to be spending time with. Logan couldn’t quite figure why he wanted to get closer to Veronica Kane, other than the fact she just seemed different. He hadn’t had the best track record with girls so far. As much as he was guilty of using his money as well as his fame and good looks to his advantage, he’d been treated just as badly by young women who happily went out on a date or spent the night in his arms, just to sell their story to the highest bidder.

With her apparent distaste for the mention of cash-flow, and in much the same way her hate for all those that would pry into her affairs, Logan couldn’t imagine Veronica being like any girl he’d ever dated or got close to before. That was to include her sister, who seemed to be the one person who both noticed and objected to his escape from the 09ers spot in the quadrant.

“Hey, Logan,” she said as she appeared in front of him, blocking his path a distance away from the table he’d just left. “You going somewhere?”

“Well, it is a free country, isn’t it, Miss Kane?” he challenged her. “Or did I cross some border out of the land of the free when I came to Neptune?”

_It makes me more than a little nauseous to see my sister over there, putting on the fake laugh, and twirling her hair around her finger like a true cheerleader. Its odd to think I could be a carbon copy of Lilly by now, I was in pep squad after all, and set to be Lilly #2 as I grew up one grade behind her. Much to the despair of my parents, my sister, and some of my so-called friends, I had little or no interest in being a cheerleader to begin with, and the longer time went on the more I realised I wasn’t destined to walk in Lilly’s shoes._

_Nope, I have to work out what Veronica’s shoes look like, and learn to travel along in those babies. It never occurred to me it would be so difficult working out exactly what I am or what I want to be, I just know I don’t want to grow up into Lilly or my Mom. For all her wild ways, my sister is definitely her mothers daughter. Everything is beauty and money, which is easier to care about when you have those things, but sometimes its also easier to see the problems with those things too, when you possess so much of both. Yeah, that was me talking myself up a little bit. I’m not vain, but I do know I’m not exactly in need of a plastic surgeons magic touch at all... well, okay, I guess a couple of cup sizes would be nice, but surely God made me this way for a reason? I just didn’t figure out what it is yet._

_Yeurgh! Lilly’s really going all out to get Logan’s attention, using her usual killer moves to reel him in. The hair flip, the eyelash flutter, the hand on his chest, in seconds he should be eating out of her hand, most boys would be, but hey, what do we have here? It almost looks as if our Mr Echolls might just be impervious to Lilly’s charms as he pushes her hands away and moves around her, making excuses to escape. Who knew that it was possible for the seventeen year old hormone bombs at this school to ever find the antidote to the seductive techniques of my darling sister?_

“Wow, talk about bucking your trends,” said a voice, catching Veronica’s attention from both her book and the scene about which she as writing.

As she turned to look she saw a girl sitting down at her table, a girl that, as far as Miss Kane knew, she’d never seen before. Surely she would remember someone with blue streaks running through the front of her dark hair.

“Excuse me?” she asked, perhaps a little too snappily, causing the stranger to take her words entirely the wrong way.

“I’m sorry, I thought it was okay to just sit here,” she said with a shake of her head. “Don’t you 09ers normally sit over there.” She gestured to the table that Veronica had lately escaped from.

As the blonde glanced that way she noticed Logan had moved beyond Lilly and was now halfway between her sister and herself. Spotting her looking his way, he seemed to change his mind, scratching his head as he turned a full circle, then took himself off into the school building, causing Veronica to frown.

“Hmm,” she said, half to herself and half to the mystery girl beside her. “What did you mean before?” she asked, looking back at her. “About bucking a trend?”

“Oh, well, two things really.” She smiled. “Firstly, sitting here, at a ‘lower class’ table,” she air-quoted. “And second, the paper and pen thing.” She nodded towards Veronica’s open book on the table and the blonde shut it fast. “These days most kids keep their journal on a computer, especially your richer kids,” she said as tactfully as possible, as she set about eating her lunch without a care.

Veronica smiled at the spunk of the girl she’d yet to learn the name of. Unlike a lot of Neptune High students, she didn’t seemed bothered by her 09er status, and was quite willing to talk to her like a normal human being - it was refreshing.

“I’m Ver-” she began only to be interrupted.

“Veronica Kane, I know.” The girl smiled and nodded. “I’m Mac,” she said, gesturing to herself, and then holding out a hand for the blonde to shake, which she did.

“Mac as in computer?” Veronica guessed, since it had been her first topic of conversation.

“Mac as in Mackenzie, Cindy Mackenzie.” she said. “Although I don’t mind if people think its the other thing. Computers are kind of my raison d’être, my thing, my gift if you like to look at it that way.”

“That’s cool.” Veronica nodded. “I wish I could share the same way, but I’m honestly not sure what my ‘thing’ is.” She sighed.

“09ers don’t need a thing,” Mac told her with a shrug of her shoulders. “Don’t you have enough money and influence to get anything you want from other people that do have ‘things’?”

Veronica wasn’t sure whether to be offended by that sentence or not. What Mac said was true enough, and as such, offence shouldn’t really be taken. Still, it didn’t exactly make Veronica feel great about herself or the luxury lifestyle from which she came. It was just another thing to add to her ever growing list of stuff to figure out in her young life, somewhere between her feelings of not fitting in with her own friends anymore, and the intriguing mystery that was Logan Echolls.


	4. Chapter 4

“What are you doing?” Veronica asked Logan suspiciously as she came out into the parking lot at the end of the school and found him leaning on her brothers car.

“Waiting for my ride,” he told her with a smile. “Duncan offered to drive me home since my car is at the garage.”

“Great.” The blonde sighed, picking her own spot on the vehicle to lean on.

“So, I saw you talking to that freaky chick at lunch,” Logan said in a tone that Veronica guessed was supposed to be merely conversational, though his words were somewhat insulting to Mac. “New friend?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.” She nodded once. “And she has a name, you know.”

“Really?” Logan asked with fake astonishment. “And here I was thinking that the lower classes didn’t bother with those anymore”

“Are you always such a jerk, Echolls?” Veronica asked him, looking annoyed.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Why don’t you get to know me better, Miss Kane, then you can tell me?” he offered, moving up closer to her.

“If you want to get hot and heavy with a member of this family, I suggest you try my sister,” Veronica said, as she stood her ground, not at all intimidated as he got in her personal space. “You’re not my type.”

Logan would doubtless have had some kind of clever comeback, or at least said something he thought was clever, but he was prevented from continuing his little bout of verbal judo with Veronica as her brother appeared before them, ready to drive them home.

_It never really occurred to me to want a laptop. We have computers enough at home, and my Dad’s work is solely based on them, but good old fashioned pen and paper always worked for me up to now. When I got talking to Mac at lunch she explained the advantages of my keeping this journal on a notebook computer rather than the regular kind, and for the sake of conversation I let her explain. It’s actually all pretty interesting, though I think she lost me somewhere between the gigahertz and the CPU. As she pointed out, it’d be just as easy for me to ask my Dad to get me a computer and there one would be, the perfect top of the range model and everything. I think I freaked her out a little when I said maybe I’d be better going to the store myself to pick one out, offering her the chance to come with me._

_It never fails to make me smile, the kind of shocked confusion it’s possible to send people into just by being an 09er and offering them the chance to participate in something you’re doing. Mac seemed kind of immune to my fame and fortune initially but the offer to help me buy a computer overwhelmed her. I’m wondering now if it was so much the fact that a Kane was asking her, or if it was just the great offer of letting her hand out free computer advice. She definitely seemed to have been accurate when she said it was her ‘thing’, she seems to know absolutely everything about computers._

_Whilst computer advice comes readily from Mac, there is another subject I’m struggling with, and I think it’s going to turn out to be a mystery only I can solve. Logan Echolls, new boy in Neptune, is proving to be a little more complicated than I thought to figure out. He passes himself off as just one of the in crowd at school, just another Dick only slightly less of a dumb blond, not that all blondes are dumb, I offer myself as an example! Still, that seems to be only one side to Logan. If he were truly like those other guys, he never would’ve turned down Lilly’s obvious advances. He also wouldn’t be so eager to talk to me._

_It’s not as though I’m unpopular at all, but most guys, given the choice, would always choose Lilly, the older sister who’ll make out with almost anyone, over me, the younger sister who just lately found the snark that lies within. It’s weird to think Logan would almost rather spend time making me crazy than taking a run around all available bases with my sister. Honestly, I’m not quite sure whether to take that as a compliment or wonder what his issues are, especially since he seems to like coming back for more each and every time I insult him..._

“Hello, sweetheart,” a voice said behind her, and Veronica turned and smiled at her father from her place at the kitchen counter.

“Hey, Dad,” she greeted him. “Tough day at the office?”

“It was fine,” he told her, putting a hand on her shoulder and dropping a kiss on top of her head as he walked around her and the counter. “How was school?” he asked as he went to the refrigerator and then a cupboard, pouring two glasses of juice.

“It was okay, I guess.” Veronica sighed, as she put her hand around the glass her father had pushed towards her, but then just stared at it’s contents, not offering to drink at all.

“Is something wrong, Veronica?” Jake checked as he stood watching his daughter who was in turn watching her glass of juice as if she half-expected it to jump up and do a tap number on the counter top.

“Not really.” She shook her head, and forced a smile. “I was just thinking is all.” She shrugged.

“Perhaps you should spend less time thinking, and more time enjoying yourself,” her dad suggested, finishing off his juice and putting the empty glass into the sink. “You know your brother is out by the pool with the Echolls boy. Why don’t you go spend some time with them?”

“Maybe.” Veronica nodded. “When I’m done here,” she said with a random gesture.

Jake left his youngest daughter to her own devices then, and she wasn’t exactly sorry about it.

_I know I can always talk to my parents, they’d do anything for me, though mostly that seems to be true of my Dad rather than my Mom. It’s not like she doesn’t love me, I know she does, it’s just sometimes I wonder if she likes me. I’m certain she doesn’t understand me, but then I’m not so sure that mothers are supposed to fully understand their sixteen year old daughters, since they’re probably repressing what it was like when they were that age themselves!_

_I didn’t lie to my Dad when I said nothing was wrong and that it was only too much thinking that was affecting my mood. I could’ve told him what I was thinking about, but I’m not sure I should. Telling your parent you don’t feel like you fit in with the family is going to lead to one of two responses, either assurance that all teens feel like that sometimes followed by secret calls to the family shrink to ensure I don’t decide to take something sharp to my wrists, or painful hurt looks as I’m made to feel so bad for not feeling like a loved and wanted member of the mighty Kane dynasty._

_It’s easier to keep my thoughts to myself. I wouldn’t even know how to talk to Lilly or even Duncan about all this, without getting similar reactions to those I’d get from my parents. Everybody just wants me to be a happy little rich girl, and okay, I guess I have plenty of reasons to smile, but something’s different now, and I only wish I knew exactly what it was._

“Hey, Veronica,” her brother greeted her with a smile as she emerged from the house in a one piece bathing suit and sarong, her sunglasses perched on top of her head. “I thought you were going to hide in the house all afternoon”

“Well I certainly didn’t want to come out here and invade your ‘guy space’,” she air quoted as she walked by the edge of the pool, catching Logan’s attention.

He was sprawled out on a sun lounger next to Duncan, his eyes closed against the sun, until he realised Veronica was there. He wasn’t so stupid he was going to miss the opportunity to see the female form in minimal clothing, especially when that particular form belonged to Veronica.

“It’s your house, Miss Kane,” he told her, as he hopped to his feet. “I’m just so privileged to have been invited,” he said with an over the top bow that looked even more ridiculous since he was wearing nothing but trunks.

Veronica just rolled her eyes, not quite able to stop the smile that inched its way across her lips. Still, she wasn’t about to let Logan know he’d amused her, or that the real reason she’d been somewhat reluctant to come out here was because she’d have to face her brother’s new friend with the both of them in less clothing than was really appropriate.

Veronica was soon laid out on the next lounger, putting a good distance between her brother, herself and Logan. With her sunglasses pulled down over her eyes she could block out the world, enjoy the feeling of the sun on her skin, and almost forget everything that ever bothered her, at least until Duncan decided he ought to start a conversation that involved her.

“So, Logan was telling me you were talking to some girl at lunch about computers?” he said, looking over at his sister. “I didn’t think you were so interested.”

“I didn’t realise Logan was so interested in my life that it’s his sole topic of conversation,” came the blonde’s snippy reply, though she didn’t deign to look at either of the young men beside her.

“What can I say, Veronica?” Logan smirked, and though she couldn’t see the expression, she could almost here it in his tone. “You’re a very interesting young lady.”

“I wish I could say the same.” She sighed, knowing she could easily say that, she just wouldn’t.

“Me? An interesting young lady?” he chuckled. “Yeah, I think I’m glad you’re avoiding that one.”

“Okay. I’m bored already,” Veronica declared as she abruptly got up from the sun lounger.

“Come on, Veronica.” Her brother sighed. “Logan’s just.-”

“A pain in the ass?” she filled in with a grin at the boy in question as she rounded the pool and took a spectacular leap off the diving-board, much to the amusement of her audience.

“You think God gives girls like her an attitude problem to even out how hot she is?” Logan asked as he stared at the blonde.

“Dude, that’s my sister!” Duncan complained loudly at the description of his twin, whom he was obviously not supposed to think of as hot.

“Oh, come on, Duncan, like I’m the first person to notice she’s built and say it in front of you?” his friend chuckled, putting his hands behind his head and relaxing once again.

“Seriously? It’s usually Lilly I have to hear that stuff about,” Duncan told his newest friend as they soaked up the rays side by side.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, man, but I don’t so much go for the easy option.” Logan smiled, still lying on his back, so he had no idea that Duncan had now propped himself up on his elbow.

“Hey.” The brunette removed his sunglasses and stared down at his friend, demanding his attention.

Logan peered over at him, thinking he was about to get yelled at for insinuating Lilly was not adverse to being flat on her back, but apparently he’d got it wrong.

“Are you telling me you’re into my twin sister?” Duncan checked, finding the situation a little odd somehow.

Logan opened his mouth to answer, only to be distracted by the girl in question climbing out of the pool right in front of him, dripping water everywhere from her blonde ponytail to her toes.

“Are you guys just going to lie there all day or get yourselves wet?” she asked, apparently oblivious to the conversation her brother and his new friend had been in the middle of, and yet the glint in her eye when she looked at Logan almost suggested she knew. “Am I speaking Chinese or did you just get struck dumb?” she checked, when nobody answered her, and consequently gave up as Logan continued to stare at her oddly, and Duncan in turn stared at him.

Veronica moved back around to the diving board and executed another perfect somersault into the water as the boys looked on.

“So?” Duncan prompted, and his friend tore his eyes away from the blonde just briefly to glance at him.

“What can I say, man?” He shrugged. “I like a challenge.”


	5. Chapter 5

_This might just be the last entry here that gets written the old fashioned way, since I’m waiting here in this cafe to meet Mac. She’s going to help me pick out the best laptop for my needs, which mostly include word processing of my journal, if you want to call it that, and probably some homework stuff. Thankfully I have access to enough of my own cash, I didn’t need to ask my Dad for any for a computer. You just know that would spark a whole long drawn out conversation about his company and field of business, which isn’t exactly riveting stuff if you’re not a computer geek._

_That term sounds a little ugly now I think of Mac and how cool she is. I guess with the stuff she knows she must be a geek and yet she’s not the stereotype with glasses and a pocket protector. I guess sometimes we’re all a little too quick to judge by the standards of teen movies. Looking at me, you’d probably think I was the epitome of Clueless’ Cher, but I was never really that girl._

_As a kid I was your typical blonde haired, blue eyed girl, who loved her Daddy and her My Little Pony. Just a couple of years ago I was still on pep squad and dreaming of pink prom dresses and Prince Charming. I’m not sure exactly what changed. I think maybe it was just hitting High School and realising life isn’t always what you think it is._

_Something is different about me lately, everybody says it, but nobody really understands it. I’m not even sure I know what’s different. Maybe it comes from spending more time at the Sheriff’s station over the Summer than I did at my house, and somehow feeling more at home in the former than the latter. It’s not so much that crime intrigues me, I don’t think, though it is cool to see justice done by those that serve the town as the Sheriff and his Deputies. No, I think it’s more about a sense of belonging, about..._

“Hey, Veronica,” the very man she’d been thinking of greeted her as he came into the cafe.

“Hi, Sheriff Mars,” she greeted the balding man in kind with a bright smile. “Busted any perps today?” she joked.

“I caught a guy parked in a no parking zone,” he said thoughtfully. “That was pretty exciting. He did yell kind of loud for a minute there.”

Veronica laughed at his joke, and the Sheriff moved towards the counter, ordering a coffee to go, then coming back to Veronica’s table.

“So, you waiting for someone?” he asked her and she nodded her head.

“My friend Mac,” she explained. “We’re going shopping, for a computer.”

“Not the usual type of shopping I expect to hear about from teenage girls,” he said with an amused look, but then he’d always known Veronica was a little different from her peers, even if she had never fully noticed.

“Hey,” said another voice and Veronica turned to see Mac in the doorway, shifting nervously as she came over to the table where the blonde was sat with the Sheriff. “Um, are we going shopping or are you getting arrested?” she asked with a smirk, as Keith got up from his seat.

“So long as you girls don’t try smuggling that computer out of the store under your sweater I don’t think anybody is going to end up in cuffs today.” He winked as he left the girls to it, grabbing his coffee and heading on out of the cafe.

“Okay, then,” Mac looked a little bemused by the local Sheriff and her newest 09er friend apparently hanging out together prior to her arrival.

“I spent some time at the Sheriff’s department over the summer,” Veronica explained as she got up from her seat, gathering up her notebook and pen and pushing them into the bag she then swung over her shoulder. “It’s interesting.”

“I believe it.” Mac nodded, as they headed outside. “Not that we get a lot of major crime in Neptune.”

“True. Mostly just the biker gang doing a little damage, or idiots holding the rich kids stuff to ransom.”

“You say rich kids like you’re not one of them,” Mac noticed as they walked along together, not caring for the look she got from Veronica then. “Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“No, it’s okay.” The blonde shook her head. “I don’t know, you ever just feel like you don’t fit in? Even with your family?”

“Every day.” Mac nodded, meaning it sincerely. “I know it's awful to say but sometimes it almost feels like the hospital switched me at birth with somebody else.”

“If I wasn’t one of twins, I’d probably say the same,” Veronica agreed with a wry smile as they continued walking towards the computer store.

“So, I guess now I have you here alone, I should take advantage of the opportunity to find out if a few rumours are true,” Mac said suddenly. “Especially since I’m helping you out with this whole computer buying thing.”

“I’m not sure how much gossip I can help you with but, shoot,” Veronica said, not caring what details she divulged, not really anyway.

“Okay.” Mac grinned, glad that so far her new friend didn’t seem to realise that she only had one question she wanted to ask, since she really didn’t listen to the school hall gossips anyway. “Is it true that Madison Sinclair broke up with Dick Casablancas?” she asked.

“No,” Veronica said definitely. “Although she...” she stopped talking when she glanced Mac’s way and noticed that the brunette was mostly looking at the floor now. “Er, why do I think this isn’t a simple rumour confirmation question? Mac?” she prompted when the girl wouldn’t look at her.

“Hey, look, computer store,” Mac suddenly forced a smile and moved to push herself through the door, but Veronica cut in front and blocked her way.

“I’m sorry, Miss Mackenzie,” she said with a smile as she folded her arms across her chest. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to ask you a couple of questions before we proceed to happy fun time.”

“You spent way too much time with the Sheriff,” Mac said seriously, before sighing and shifting her feet awkwardly. “Okay, so maybe I kind of like Dick,” she said, glancing away as Veronica’s eyes went wide.

“Woah!” she exclaimed, letting Mac push by her into the store now and following on behind. “Okay, I’m a little stunned.”

“What? Just because I’m not in with the in crowd, I can’t like someone that is?” Mac said as Veronica followed her through the store.

“No.” The blonde shook her head. “I just can’t imagine why anyone with a brain like you have would actually like Dick Casablancas,” she said, apparently completely confused by the whole thing.

“I don’t know.” Mac shrugged as she ran her hand along the shelf beside her and looked at the various computers for sale today. “He’s just so cute and he has that blond hair and the pretty eyes and... I know he seems kinda of dumb sometimes but-”

“No, Mac, doesn’t seem dumb, is dumb,” Veronica told her simply, off her frowned look she added, “but I mean, he’s not a bad guy,” she considered, knowing that although he wasn’t the sharpest of people, he was no worse than any of the other 09er boys. Sometimes stupid, prone to disgusting, but not at all violent or creepy, even when he was drunk out of his mind. It just astounded Veronica that someone smart like Mac would like a surf bum like Dick all that much. It was obviously true what they said, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. Perhaps Veronica should’ve learnt that by now, all she had to do was take a look at herself.

_So, here we are, writing without the need for conventional pens and paper. I have to say, this is easier; whenever I write the wrong word or lose the ability to spell it’s easily fixed without a lot of scribbling. Plus, there’s the opportunity to access the web when I’m bored, and the option to put some kind of picture on the desktop to stare at, also when I’m bored. Unfortunately, opportunities to just sit long enough in silence in order to get bored are few and far between here at the Kane household. Still, right now isn’t so bad... Oops, spoke too soon..._

“Hey, sis.” Lilly grinned at Veronica, ruffling the younger girls hair as she breezed past where she was sitting at the dining table. “Where have you been all day long?” she checked as she moved across to the dresser and appeared to be searching for something.

“I was buying my new laptop,” Veronica explained, waiting for the snide comments and insults as she added. “With Mac, my new friend.”

“Mac?” Lilly frowned as she echoed the unfamiliar name, apparently searching her memory banks quite thoroughly a she turned to face her sister. “Oh, the geeky girl with the weird hair.” She snapped her fingers and pointed as she recalled her. “That’s cool.”

“That’s cool?” it was Veronica’s turn to echo her sisters words this time.

“Yeah, sure, why not?” Lilly shrugged as she located the purse that she’d been looking for and extracted the cash from it - not her own apparently, but one belonging to their mother, Celeste.

“Well, firstly, that’s Mom’s purse so why are you taking the money out of it?” the younger blonde said as she got up from her chair and came over to where Lilly stood. “And second, I was kind of expecting some insult about Mac, or at least some questioning about why I suddenly feel the need to hang around with the ‘lower classes’,” she air-quoted, while Lilly rolled her eyes.

“Geez, Veronica, Mom said I could borrow a few bucks.” She sighed. “And for your information I have no problem with you making friends on the other side of town or whatever,” she waved a hand absently as she moved to leave the room. “Sometimes you meet people who seem like nothing, and then they turn out to be... fun,” she said somewhat cryptically, and Veronica opened her mouth to ask what she meant only to be spoken over. “Anyway, why aren’t you ready?” 

“Ready for what?” came the reply, and Lilly let out another sigh with accompanying eye roll once again.

“The party, doofus,” she told her sibling tiredly. “Shelley Pomroy? Parents out of town? Stop me when I say something you remember,” she said, one hand around the doorframe, swinging herself in and out of the room like some kind of pole-dancer.

“Oh, right.” Veronica nodded once, looking unimpressed. “I think I’ll skip this one, Lil,” she said, looking back at her computer screen, only to have the lid of the laptop almost shut on her fingers.

“No,” Lilly said firmly. “You are not missing this party. Even Donut the party pooper is going, and Mom and Dad aren’t going to pour themselves into bed until the early hours so it’s not like anybody’s going to get into trouble,” she explained. “Come on, V,” she urged her sister, who she could tell was starting to crack. “Live a little!”

“Okay.” Veronica sighed at last as Lilly punched the air in delight at her victory, before running off to finish getting ready.

She expected her sister to follow immediately and when she didn’t, she yelled back to her with urgency, telling her she needed to get her ass in gear already.

“I’ll just be a minute, Lilly!” Veronica called back, her cell in her hand as she scrolled her contacts list for the right number. “I just have to make a call.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Oh God, what am I doing here?” Mac asked, voice shaking along with her whole body as she stood beside Veronica and they faced the party of the year at Shelley Pomroy’s house.

“Relax, Mac,” her friend smiled. “It’s just a party.” She shrugged, having been to these kind of things more often than she cared to count and finding them no more difficult than riding a bike.

The fact was, she just didn’t like the idea of spending hours in the company of her drunk so-called friends anymore without any chance of a sensible conversation or anything. She just wanted one person here she could bear to talk to, someone that would stick with her for the duration of what was bound to be an alcohol soaked, crazy party. Mac was that person, or so Veronica had hoped when she called her up and offered her the chance to attend.

“This isn’t just a party, Veronica.” Mac shook her head. “This is an 09er party, and I pretty much belong as far away from here as is humanly possible,” she noted as several people she’d only ever seen from a distance before staggered past her, already wasted even this early on.

“You’re my friend, so you belong here with me, okay?” Veronica told her firmly. “These are just people, like all other people,” she explained, just like she had on the phone several times before she finally got Mac’s agreement to come here the only way she knew how, by mentioning the guaranteed presence of...

“Dude!” Dick exclaimed as he stumbled past them and landed on the guy directly behind.

Veronica turned in unison with Mac to see that Logan had just now arrived at the party, and apparently alone. The blonde had really expected him to bring a date, after all the stories she’d heard about his many girlfriends. On the other hand, she hadn’t really noticed him spending any particularly long amount of time with any girl. Of all the females attending Neptune High she realised she was probably the one to have spent the most time with the young Mr Echolls, though it was never by design.

“Damn, Dick.” Logan chuckled. “The party’s barely started. Are you already wasted?”

“Free beer, man!” His friend grinned, like it was reason enough to be trashed by nine thirty, but then for Dick that really was all the excuse he needed right now.

Veronica knew all her friends like to drink, but she couldn’t help but notice that the longer the fighting went on between Dick and Madison, the more he liked to drink, and the more she liked to bitch. It was kind of a vicious cycle too, since drunk Dick led to bitchy Madison and vice versa. Veronica could almost think he’d be better off with Mac. If she just got a little confidence she could most likely keep him in line, and yet she’d treat him better than Ms Sinclair.

“Hey, Dick,” she said suddenly, grabbing her friend by the arm and giving her a shove forward. “Have you met my friend Mac?” She grinned, as the brunette pushed her hair behind her ear and shifted nervously.

“Mac,” Dick echoed the word as the cogs visibly turned in his head. “Oh, right, the computer chick!” he suddenly said with understanding as he threw an arm around her shoulders and steered her away. “You wanna drink, Computer Chick?” he asked her as they walked away and Veronica didn’t hear her friends answer as they disappeared into the throng of people.

“Well, don’t they make an interesting couple?” Logan said as he regarded the surfer dude and his so-called computer chick.

“What? You don’t think she’s good enough for him because she’s not an ‘09er’?” she said with an angry edge to her voice as she folded her arms across her chest.

“Hey, chill out, Veronica,” Logan said with an amused smile. “I have nothing against the lower beings,” he told her, smile turning to a wicked smirk.

“As much as I know you’re probably trying to make a joke,” Veronica told him with a similar expression, “you’re missing one important thing - the funny part,” she told him, suddenly turning serious and stalking away into the crowd.

Logan watched her go, the smirk never leaving his face. As much as she may seem to dislike him, he had the ability to push her buttons. That would do for now, the rest would come later. Veronica was far more of a challenge than other girls he’d been interested in. She was far more fun for being more difficult, and much more worth the chasing as far as Logan could see.

On the other side of a large portion of Neptune High’s upper class alumni, Veronica was attempting to find the one girl who ought to stand out. Mac didn’t exactly blend at an 09er party, even Veronica had to admit it, at least to herself. Unfortunately, even when the blonde did spot her unlikely friend, she found her in an even more unlikely position, with a drunken Dick Casablancas falling all over her, apparently having a great time.

“That’s just... great,” Veronica said to herself as she looked around at all the people having a good time without her - Mac with Dick, Lilly with everybody, and strangely her own brother Duncan with Meg Manning. “Well, I guess its just you and me,” she said to the punch bowl beside her as she hopped up onto a stool by the make-shift bar.

She frowned a little when she realised the fruit drink wasn’t even spiked, she was sure Dick or one of the other guys would’ve gotten to it by now, but whatever. It was probably best she didn’t drink, the few times she’d reached states of near-drunkenness before had not ended well. Besides, the only thing worse than just sitting alone was drinking alone, that really was a pathetic pastime. At this point, Veronica was even considering going to find Logan again and actually spend time with him.

“Maybe there is something bad in this,” she said thoughtfully, staring into her cup.

“Talking to yourself, Veronica? That’s not a good sign,” said a voice behind her and she turned to find Casey there with a bottle of beer in his hand.

“I think the general consensus is that I’m going crazy anyway.” She smiled wryly. “The talking to myself is just a gimme.”

“Nobody thinks you’re crazy, Veronica.” Casey shook his head. “You’re just... I dunno, different lately.” He shrugged. “It’s like you’re somewhere else half the time, or maybe you just wish you were?”

“I honestly wish I could tell you which it is.” She sighed, re-filling her cup with more punch as he took the seat beside her for a while. “Casey, don’t you ever just feel like... like maybe this isn’t all there is? Like you’re missing something?”

“I guess, sometimes,” he said, with a thoughtful nod of his head. “But if I was part of your family, probably not,” he told her, before adding off her confused look. “Don’t take this the wrong way but the Kanes get everything they ever want. What more is there?” he asked, apparently rhetorically since he was up and gone before Veronica could come up with any kind of answer, not that one sprang to mind anyway.

Veronica Kane knew she should be the happiest little princess at the party, and even she couldn’t really explain why she wasn’t. It seemed that she was going to have plenty of time to consider it though, as she sat alone watching the fun and frolics carry on around her. Even Logan seemed to have found some other friends to entertain him, and Mac seemed entirely content to spend her time admiring Dick either up close or from afar depending on how far he felt like staggering at that particular moment.

“Bottoms up,” she said to herself, downing a cup of fruit punch, and wishing she had brought her laptop with her - it may not be a usual party accessory, but at least she could be doing something she enjoyed.

Veronica was running through her head all the other things she might be doing were she not here, when she suddenly noticed a presence beside her. She smiled widely at the sight of a friendly face.

“Hey, I thought I’d lost you to the Casablancas charm for the entire party,” she teased Mac, who blushed furiously at the suggestion.

“I’m sorry, Veronica,” she apologised, tucking her blue streaked hair behind her ear in a strangely uncharacteristic and nervous gesture. “I just... I dunno, he’s sweet and... I might never get a chance to hang out like this again, y’know, with him.”

“Its okay, Mac. I know you like him, and it’s fine. Me and my friend the disgusting punch are getting along just fine.”

Mac frowned a little as she leant close to the bowl her friend gestured at and sniffed the red liquid within.

“Yeah, that’s not good,” she said as she recoiled. “Here, take this,” she suggested, pushing a paper cup into Veronica’s hands. “It’s okay, it's just a Coke.” She smiled as the blonde eyed it suspiciously. “I think sober is probably the way to go tonight, using Dick as an example of the crazy that happens when you drink.”

“Good plan.” Veronica smiled in agreement as their attention was collectively taken by the young man in question, tripping over a plastic chair and very nearly giving himself a mini-lobotomy on the side of the rather solid table.

“Hey, where’s my smart chick?!” he yelled suddenly. “I know I had this... this girl, she was... smart and stuff!”

“I think Prince Charming is calling for you,” Veronica told Mac, who was heartily embarrassed by the whole affair, but nonetheless thrilled too.

With apologies to her friend for abandoning her again, she practically ran off to help Dick from the floor, much to his delight. Veronica only hoped, as she watched her newest acquaintance smiling there, that this wasn’t all a ruse to get Madison’s attention. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d seen one of the guys use another girl to get back at their girlfriend or make them jealous. Perhaps she should’ve warned Mac about that, but then she was supposed to be the ‘smart chick’ here, and she just looked so happy.

“At least one of us should have a good time,” she said to herself, taking a sip of the Coke in her hand, and watching the world go by.

* * *

Suddenly, Veronica felt like dancing. She wasn’t sure where that feeling cam from, after what felt like an eternity of propping up this bar, wishing she was anywhere but here. Still, all of a sudden she was filled with this giggly urge to pull herself to her unsteady feet and dance the night away. Getting up of her stool was more complicated than she’d thought it would be, especially since she’d been on soft drinks all night, still little Miss Kane was undeterred by the floor that tilted under her feet or the fuzziness of her vision as she tripped onto the dance floor and started to shake it.

Her sudden movement from the bar didn’t go unnoticed, after all she’d been there pretty much all night, despite various offers to dance or go someplace and talk. Most of the guys that had approached her had been varying degrees of very drunk and Veronica had politely declined any offer of anything from them. Now it seemed she was eager for a partner to boogie with, and any man would do.

“Well, you certainly lightened up this evening.” Casey smiled as she was spun from one pair of arms into his more by luck than design. “Something I said?” he checked.

“I like everything you say, Case,” she told him, leaning in a little too close for comfort, practically hanging off him by now in fact. “Everything is soooo goood,” she stretched out as giggles overtook her and she stumbled a little when they both tried to move.

“Yeah, seems like your everything is beer.” He chuckled as he attempted to get her upright and found it more complicated than it should’ve been.

Veronica soon grew tired of his struggling with her and spun into a new pair of arms, this time belonging to Sean who was so startled he fell back into a waiting chair with Veronica now on his lap.

“Woo! That was fun.” She giggled madly. “Wanna have some more fun with me, Sean?” she asked, something he knew she would never do had she been sober.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t half so much fun having the pretty blonde all over him as it should’ve been. In this state, it seemed she could barely stand; he was astounded she knew her own name never mind his.

“Hey, Veronica, come on,” Casey said as he moved towards her and attempted to get her up off his friend. “This isn’t cool.”

“I’m having fun!” she protested, staggering badly as she got to her feet.

All the yelling started to catch the attention of more party goers, and Mac was wide-eyed and entirely shocked when she realised who was making all the fuss. Hurrying over, she grabbed Veronica before she fell and supported her as best she could as she got her to an empty lounger by the pool.

“Veronica! Veronica, can you hear me?” she checked, trying to stop her friend’s head lolling and actually get her to look at her.

“Hello, Macky Mac.” The blonde laughed, before her smile went south into a frown. “Why is the world turning so fast?” she asked, laying herself down, as the brunette frantically looked around for someone to help her out.

Neither Lilly nor Duncan seemed to be anywhere around, and Mac daren’t leave Veronica alone whilst she performed a proper search. Anything could happen to the poor girl, half passed out on a sun lounger at an 09er party that was getting decidedly out of hand. Though Veronica might not be overly pleased about it later, Mac was forced to accept the help of the one person who offered it, turning up just in the nick of time like some kind of knight in shining armour; Logan Echolls.


	7. Chapter 7

“What happened to her?” Logan asked as he knelt down beside the lounger that Veronica was laid out on and tried to get her attention, a difficult task since she was practically unconscious right now.

“I don’t know,” Mac told him worriedly, hardly able to believe that the one new friend she’d made now looked as if she were dying. “I mean, she wasn’t even drinking, only punch and a coke that I gave her.”

Logan tried again to get Veronica to look at him, talk to him, anything, but right now she seemed unable to do anything but groan and look pale. Forcing one of her eyes open he didn’t like what he saw, and the fact she hadn’t been on alcohol tonight no longer surprised him.

“You think something she drank was spiked?” Mac asked as Logan surveyed the scene and decided on what to do next. “Because the punch did smell weird, and maybe it had vodka or something in it.”

“Whatever she’s taken, I don’t think it was a drink.” Logan shook his head as he slid his arms around Veronica and lifted her swiftly up off the sun lounger. “We need to get her somewhere safe and quiet,” he said, looking very much the manly hero type.

Mac didn’t want to argue, she just wanted to know her friend was going to be alright. If she understood Logan correctly it seemed Veronica had inadvertently taken drugs, since neither of them really believed she’d done it on purpose. The Kane family were well known by all for being many things, but not one amongst them had ever been rumoured to be on drugs, not even party girl Lilly who could drink her weight in shots.

Picking their way through a sea of bodies both sober, drunk and completely out for the count, Mac and Logan took Veronica to the empty pool house across the way. Mac opened the door to let Logan through, and he laid the blonde out on the bed. Despite the impact being soft, it was enough to bring Veronica around and she stared up at two familiar faces and giggled.

“I love this party,” she told them gleefully, before her smile turned to a frown. “Why is the room spinning?” she checked, suddenly looking a little green in the dim light.

“Hey, Mac,” Logan said as he turned to her. “Maybe you should go look for Duncan or Lilly, whichever one is less wasted.”

“Good plan.” She nodded before hurrying away, leaving Logan alone with the girl he most wanted to be spending private time with, of course, he’d not quite envisaged it like this.

“What’s happening to me?” Veronica asked groggily, as her head lolled about against the pillows.

“Seems somebody thought you should be partying like its 1999,” Logan told her with a slight smile, though this really wasn’t funny. “But it’s gonna be okay. Mac’s gone to find your brother and sister, and we’re gonna take care of you, okay?” he told her gently, as he sat on the side of the bed, and reached to push her blonde hair out of her face.

“I don’t need to be taken care of... I... I don’t,” she tried to say, but she sat up too fast in the process, realising she felt too nauseous for that and falling back down a second later.

“Everybody needs taking care of sometimes, Veronica,” Logan told her. “So just lay there and rest, okay?”

She huffed at being told what to do, especially by Logan Echolls. He wasn’t her father, he had no right, but she wasn’t exactly feeling in the mood for an argument right now so she let it go. 

As she lay there gazing up at this young man whom she barely knew, she realised he really was entirely good-looking. She wasn’t blind, she must’ve known from the beginning, before she even met him that he was this cute, apparently she’d just never looked properly since he’d arrived in Neptune. His looks were marred somewhat by the fact he knew he had them, and hidden well by his attitude and sarcastic wit. Of course, all this was a blur in Veronica’s head right now. Truth be told, everything outside of her head was becoming blurry too and Logan suddenly seemed all too appealing.

With a smile on her lips, Veronica pulled herself up to a sitting position and grabbed at Logan’s hand that was nearest to her body. She caught his attention suddenly as he’d been looking out of the glass of the pool house to see if Mac was returning yet with Duncan or Lilly, which she was not.

“Hey,” Veronica giggled, pulling on his arm. “If I have to lie down, don’t you want to lie down with me?” she asked, far from innocently.

Logan cursed his damned luck, turning his eyes heavenward. He knew that if Veronica were any kind of sober he’d accept her offer willingly, in fact he’d have her pressed into the pillows right now, kissing her like it was going out of style, and making her his. As it was she was either way beyond drunk, or more likely, he suspected, drugged on something that was dropped in a drink, either destined purposefully for her, or somebody else.

“Veronica.” He sighed. “Y’know you should just lie there by yourself, maybe sleep it off or something.”

“I’m not sleepy,” she declared as she pulled herself up close to him. “In fact, I suddenly feel really, really good,” she said softly in his ear as she pressed her body against his, and let her fingers wander up his leg from the knee.

“Okay,” Logan said suddenly, grabbing her hand and holding it away from him as he made his escape off the bed.

On his feet, not touching her at all now, he should’ve felt somewhat safer and more comfortable, but he didn’t. He liked her a lot, she was obviously gorgeous, and suddenly she wanted him, for all the wrong reasons, but she did nonetheless. A decent guy would back away, run away even, and Logan liked to think of himself as pretty decent most of the time. Unfortunately, Veronica could be even more persistent than he himself was, it seemed, and it was a race against time to see if Mac could return and restrain her friend before Logan’s resolve crumbled under the strain of Miss Kane’s advances.

“You look all tense and weird.” Veronica frowned, managing to pull herself to her knees just long enough to grab Logan by the shoulders and force him back down onto the bed beside her. “I can fix that.” she giggled, fingers massaging his shoulders somewhat haphazardly since her motor functions weren’t exactly good right now.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Logan said more to himself than to her, since he knew she was in no state to answer –she had no idea how hard this was for him, and that phrase had more than one meaning right now too!

“Isn’t it obvious, Logan?” she said in his ear, encouraging him to turn and face her, which he did just because it was easier than arguing. “I want you,” she whispered, looking so sincere if not a little out of it that Logan didn’t know how to call her a liar, and he didn’t want to push her away.

Veronica crushed her lips to his, arms winding around his neck just as she lost her balance and the pair of them fell onto the bed in a haphazard pile of limbs. Veronica didn’t know any better right now and though Logan ought to have done, he couldn’t help himself. He was a little worse for wear from the beer himself, though he had sobered up a fair amount at the sight of his damsel in distress. He had no real excuse for making out with a drugged young woman other than he just didn’t know how to deny her what she clearly wanted in this moment.

As soon as the kissing had started it stopped as Veronica suddenly pulled away with an odd expression. Logan wondered for a moment if she’d just realised what she was doing and come to her senses, but he soon recognised that green look as something else, something even worse.

“Oh no!” he said as he pulled her up and pushed her head over the waste paper bin by the bed, just in time for her to throw up spectacularly.

Before he even had time to consider what the hell had just happened here, Logan turned at the sound of another male voice saying Veronica’s name. Behind him stood Mac with a very concerned Duncan, as the pair of them watched the little blonde heave her guts into the bin.

“I think she’ll be okay,” Logan told them. “Once she throws it up, it can’t hurt her anymore,” he explained.

“What the hell happened to her?” Duncan demanded to know. “What did you do?” he asked Logan, looking increasingly mad.

“Me?” he gasped. “All I did, Duncan, was look after your sister until you showed up!” he said, quite angry to have been accused of any such crime when all he’d done was try to help.

Okay, so he’d been macking on Duncan’s twin whilst she was in no fit state to be making rational kissing decisions, but what he was being accused of was much worse. Logan had never plied a woman with drugs, and he never would. He would admit to buying an overly enthusiastic amount of drinks for the occasional girl he wanted to seduce, but then he was usually getting just as smashed as her in the process.

“Veronica, sweetie, it’s Duncan,” he said as he rushed to his sister and knelt down before her, just as soon as she was done throwing up.

“Duncan?” she checked, hiccuping a little. “I don’t feel good,” she admitted, before letting her body fall back onto the bed once again.

“I don’t know what exactly happened, man, but I don’t think her drink was spiked with alcohol,” Logan explained. “I think it was drugs.”

“Who would do that?” Mac asked them, feeling sick.

There was every chance that it was the Coke she’d given to Veronica that made her sick like this. Though she couldn’t imagine that anyone would want to drug her either, she’d never been to an 09er party, she was an outsider, and she didn’t really know how all this worked. Right now, Mac was coming to the conclusion that none of this had been worth it, even if she had finally got to spend a couple of precious hours in the company of Dick Casablancas.

“I don’t know, but I need to get Veronica home,” Duncan said, moving to help her up of the bed.

The blonde protested, knocking the hands away that would lift her up. She was clearly not feeling well still, and looked very tired. Even if he could get her to the car there was every chance she’d throw up there too, and Duncan had also promised to take Meg home since the friends she came with seemed to have gone off without her. Plus Mac was going to need a ride, as Veronica was clearly in no fit state, and with Lilly nowhere to be found, Duncan really wasn’t sure what to do for the best.

“Hey, she obviously doesn’t want to go anywhere right now,” Logan told him. “And I have nowhere I need to be.” He shrugged. “How about you take Mac and your friend Meg home, and I’ll stay here with Veronica whilst she sleeps this thing off?”

Duncan narrowed his eyes at Logan who, despite looking the picture of innocence right now, was a relative stranger. Whether Duncan trusted him with his semi-conscious sister, as yet neither of them were certain, although he had kind of come to the rescue tonight. Realising his options were limited, Duncan glanced from Mac to Logan to Veronica, and back to Logan. Getting to his feet he leaned in nose to nose with the young man he hoped was a friend.

“If you touch her, I don’t care who your parents are, I’ll kill you,” he warned him. “Okay?”

“Chill, D-man,” Logan told him, with a half-smile. “After seeing her heave her guts like that, there is no way, not even if she asked real nice,” he joked, before realising perhaps now was a time for serious words. “I swear, Duncan, I wouldn’t lay a hand on her, not like this,” he promised.

Duncan nodded that he believed that was true.

Of course, as Logan watched the pair leave, he knew he hadn’t told the complete truth. Even with Veronica in this state, he couldn’t help but respond to her kisses before. Still, he wasn’t that guy, the one that would take advantage of a woman who was so out of it. It would’ve been difficult, but he would’ve stopped things before they went too far, else have to deal with crippling guilt in the morning.

After all, hurting Veronica, he was sure, would lead to even worse shame than causing pain to any other girl he’d ever met. She was so different to those who would usually be ‘his type’. So beautiful, so smart, so out of his league in some ways, in spite of the fact he was the world-famous heir-to-millions son of two movie stars.

Logan was startled from deep thought by a muffled moan from the girl that lie on the bed next to where he sat contemplating his feelings for her.

“Veronica?” he said as he moved to see her better.

He hated it when he realised she was crying. Exhausted and confused by the effects of the drugs she’d accidentally taken, the poor girl was sobbing into the pillows, shaking and shivering as if she were cold too. She was as innocent as a child in that moment, so far from the wild woman that had wanted Logan to fulfil some physical need she had. Now she just needed someone to take care of her, to watch over her tonight and see she came to no harm. As much as Logan hadn’t minded the making out, he didn’t actually mind this either. It was nice to feel like someone needed him, especially someone like Veronica who was usually so strong.

Wrapping the blankets up around her shaking form, Logan moved to lie beside her on the bed. Instinctively she turned and snuggled up to him, and him his arm went around her holding her close. All the times Logan had envisaged spending a night in bed with Veronica, and he’d done so several times, it had never been like this, holding her whilst she recovered from the effects of some drug she never should’ve taken. Still, he didn’t mind, as he kissed the top of her head and promised her everything was going to be okay. She must’ve believed him, and trusted in him to keep her safe, because in moments she was asleep in his embrace.


	8. Chapter 8

The blinding rays of sunlight though the glass of the poolhouse woke Veronica from a less than peaceful slumber. She was sure she’d been having some psycho dream of some kind but she really couldn’t remember any details as she put a hand across her face to shield her eyes from the too bright light. Her head didn’t hurt so much as it felt like it weighed a ton, and her tongue felt like she’d been licking the carpet or similar. She was just struggling to remember what the hell happened at the party last night when she realised something a little too strange. Whilst she was sure she only had two arms last night, now she appeared to have three, and one of them was male, unless...

“Oh my God,” Veronica gasped at the realisation that she was the little spoon in the bed and that behind her lay another form, his arm across her waist.

Her wriggling around and turning over to see who the hell was there only served to wake up the man who would share her sleeping space and suddenly Veronica found herself eye to eye with Logan Echolls.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he said with a smirk at her somewhat shocked expression, though perhaps in hindsight he could have said something a little more thoughtful, this he realised as the blonde practically threw herself off the bed and away from him, landing haphazardly, her legs barely holding her steady.

“What the hell happened to me?” she asked herself, looking so confused. “What the hell?!” she repeated, now yelling and looking daggers at Logan who was now on his feet on the opposite side of the bed.

“Veronica, c’mon, calm down,” he urged her with accompanying gesture of his hands. “It’s okay.”

“Oh yeah, I’ll bet its okay... for you!” she screamed at him. “What did you do to me?!” she wanted to know, and that just made Logan equally as angry as she was to be accused of causing her any kind of harm - he never would.

“Hey! I didn’t do anything but help you out,” he told her, getting mad now as he pointed an angry finger at her. “I’m just the idiot that thought I’d play the decent guy for a change and make sure you didn’t wind up getting taken advantage of by the drunken hordes at this less than charming soiree!” he told her firmly, with some random hand gesture.

Veronica looked at him for a long moment, then down at herself, out through the glass that surrounded her to the mess of empty cans and bottles and half-conscious party-goers. She tried to remember what happened, but everything was coming up blank, absolutely everything, beyond sitting at the bar and drinking decidedly non-alcoholic drinks.

“I don’t understand,” she said absently shaking her head and Logan sighed feeling bad that he yelled.

He hated that she’d almost accused him like she had, but then any girl who woke up from a comatose state in the arms of a guy that they barely knew, with no memory of how she got there, she was always going to be freaked out. Logan should be handling this better, and he knew it, but he hadn’t exactly found himself in this situation before.

“Veronica,” he said gently, catching her attention. “Look, nothing happened. I mean, with you and me,” he promised her, knowing there was some making out he may have to confess to later, maybe, but for now it was imperative she just understood he didn’t take advantage of her in any terrible way. “See, still wearing pants,” he gestured southwards on his own body with a half-smile, “and unless you’re the type that goes commando, you should be wearing...”

“I am.” She nodded. “Wearing them,” she clarified, before his dirty little mind went down the road most often travelled. “I... I’m sorry,” she said, still looking a little lost and confused.

It was a strange sight to see, her looking so much like a little girl. She was such a strong young woman, with an independent streak, and no-nonsense attitude. Right now she might as well have been a five year old lost in a department store, just so innocent and completely bewildered.

“Hey, it's okay,” Logan told her, moving around the bed towards her, every wary of upsetting her again. “Look, I don’t know exactly what happened. Your friend Mac kind of freaked out when she found you passed out on a sun lounger, so I kind of swooped in to help,” he explained, not surprised when none of this seemed familiar to her. “Veronica, I think somebody spiked your drink,” he said, and her eyes shot up from their confused staring into space to meet his own.

“That doesn’t make sense.” She shook her head. “Unless... you don’t mean spiked with alcohol, do you?”

Logan shook his head, confirming that it was true. They both knew now what someone might’ve tried to do to her, and it disgusted the pair of them. Veronica wanted to be sick, but felt so empty she wasn’t sure she could be. Well, she realised, that would explain the grossness in her mouth, if she’d thrown up last night.

“Look, er, you want me to drive you home, or...?” Logan began, realising he wasn’t sure what else he was going to say when he started.

“Where’s Duncan? And Mac?” she checked, wondering if Logan had nothing to do with what happened to her why he was the one with her now.

“Duncan promised to take Meg home, and Mac didn’t have a ride because she came with you,” he explained to her. “I had nothing to rush home for, no date to keep promises to, so I volunteered to stay with you until you felt better.”

Veronica’s head still felt heavy and unwieldy but the fog was clearing somewhat thanks to Logan’s explanation. She didn’t recall any of what he was saying, nothing at all beyond siting at the bar drinking punch. Still, he looked and sounded honest enough, and Veronica liked to think she was pretty good at reading people. The Sheriff had taught her a lot about that kind of thing last Summer too.

Besides, one thing Veronica was sure of was that Logan hadn’t tried anything with her. Like he said, they were both still fully dressed and... well, she would know if anything serious had happened. As it was he’d been a gentleman as far as she could see, a minor miracle for a seventeen year old boy in Neptune. Who knew that the son of Aaron Echolls, a notorious womaniser himself if the rumour mill was to be believed, had actually turned out to be nothing like the man who spawned him. Instead he was decent enough to deal with a drugged, vomiting, semi-conscious young woman that he barely knew, and simply hold her whilst she slept off the after-effects of what some asshole had done to her.

“Thank you, Logan,” she said with half a smile, her aching head not permitting her to manage anything beyond that.

Still, he appreciated her words, and the deeper meaning they had. It wasn’t just thanks for taking care of her like that, but moreso for not trying anything else. That made Logan proud of himself, but also the opposite as he recalled the kissing that had occurred moments before Miss Kane heaved her guts up right in front of him. If he confessed that now, her gratitude might go away, and yet if she remembered it later, which she could, he’d be in much deeper trouble. He toyed with the idea of confessing all as the blonde agreed to his suggestion of a ride home and they headed for his car together.

Veronica pulled herself up into the passenger seat of the yellow SUV before Logan ran around and hopped in beside her. He moved to turn the key in the ignition, then stopped.

“Logan?” Veronica frowned when he looked pained and let out an almost defeated sigh.

“Veronica, I don’t want you to remember any of this later and hate me, okay?” he said quickly and not daring to look at her. “Last night, before you threw up and fell asleep on me, you kind of... came onto me,” he admitted, glancing sideways at her, as she put her face in her hands.

Veronica didn’t do embarrassment as a general rule, but this was beyond awful. Here was a guy that supposedly liked her enough not to take advantage of her, who had taken care of her when she was throwing up and suffering the effects of drugs. He’d held her whilst she slept and been the perfect gentleman, and now he was telling her that she had behaved so very far from a lady.

“Oh God,” she groaned, feeling even worse than before if that were possible. “Logan, I’m sorry,” she said, peeking at him from between her fingers, not knowing how to face him.

He’d been so great, even better than she’d thought considering she’d apparently thrown herself at him. There weren’t many guys whom in Logan’s position, wouldn’t have totally taken advantage of the drugged damsel in distress. They would have been quick to brag about it the next day too, and so a bad reputation was set in stone. She’d seen it happen, and Veronica hated it. She was so grateful to Logan for not letting her become just another rich girl whore last night, but she felt sick to know she’d initiated anything between them.

“I don’t want an apology, Veronica,” he assured her with a smirk. “It’s not like I hated kissing you,” he told her, looking more out of the car windshield than at her, almost as if he was as embarrassed as she was, though it seemed unlikely to her somehow. “I just wanted you to know what happened, and that... well, I didn’t exactly do the best job of stopping you for a while there,” he told her honestly, glancing over at Veronica as she peeked at him through her fingers. “What can I say?” he shrugged his shoulders. “I’m just a guy.”

Veronica shook her head at that as she finally faced him properly.

“I’m starting to think there’s a little bit more to you than that, Logan Echolls,” she said with a small smile, realising she may just have misjudged him.

He smiled back at her, before muttering something about getting her home before her parents noticed she hadn’t arrived yet, and put the car into gear. Veronica leaned back in the passenger seat, eyes half closed since the scenery rushing by so fast only served to make her feel nauseous all over again. Still, last nights events, whether she remembered or not, certainly gave her mind something else to think about. It was strange to think that someone like Logan Echolls could be so entirely decent and kind. Though it was not her usual way to judge people on the set they hung out with or the family they came from, or even the zipcode they lived in, it was impossible not to take these things into account when forming an opinion. Logan had seemed like any other rich boy with good looks and a little too much awareness of them. Really, Veronica should’ve taken time to get to know this young man before she let such an opinion of him stick, but lately the last thing she felt like doing was making new friends and it had been easier not to bother.

The more Veronica retreated into herself and her own thoughts, the more her friends thought she didn’t want to be around them, or poked and prodded with questions about why she had changed. Since she couldn’t really explain herself properly and didn’t much care to, the gang took that as hostility and made less effort with her, causing a vicious cycle as that only made her want to be alone all the more.

Veronica was so deep in thought that she really didn’t hear Logan speak to her again until he physically put a hand to her arm and shook her gently awake, since he’d mistaken her deep-thought for sleep. Coming back to the real world all too fast, Veronica opened her eyes and looked around, realising they were parked around the back of the Kane house. At least this way nobody, not her parents or any sneaky photographer types would know that the youngest daughter of the local billionaire business man had been out all night at a party with the son of two prestigious movie stars.

“Home sweet home,” he told her with a smirk.

“That’s what they say,” Veronica forced a smile back, though it wasn’t entirely convincing.

Logan couldn’t decide if her unenthused looks should be attributed to how awful she felt following last nights drugging, or something else. He would love to have asked but now didn’t really seem like a good time as she pushed her hair out of her face and moved to get out of the car. She stopped short of actually leaving and turned back, taking Logan by surprise when she pressed her lips to his cheek in a brief kiss.

“Thank you, Logan,” she said sincerely as she pulled back and her innocent eyes met his startled gaze. “For everything,” she added, before suddenly disappearing from his sight.

Logan was left with his mouth half open where he’d planned to speak, only to realise the blonde was out of the car, across the gravel, and sneaking in through the back door before he’d even got a chance to form a sentence. Leaning back in the driver’s seat of his car, his hand went subconsciously to his face where her lips had kissed him. She was the possibly the most complicated girl he’d ever met, and yes, he was quite certain now, that he was falling head over heels for her.


	9. Chapter 9

It was almost lunch time when anybody surfaced in the Kane household. Not surprising really since each and every one of the five family members had attended a party last night, and none were really fit to face the day before noon. Whilst Jake and Celeste had drunk their weight in champagne and cocktails at some prestigious event, Lilly and her brother had both got wasted at Shelley Pomroy’s bash. Whilst that was a little more usual for the elder than the younger, Veronica knew that when her brother was convinced to let go and have a good time, he did so almost too well.

The blonde herself was sober as a judge, and yet felt as if she’d been dragged a couple of miles down a rocky path by her hair. Everything ached and she suspected she was better off not knowing what really happened in that big gap in her memory. One thing she did want to know was how it had happened.

_The only options for my drug-induced state last night are as follows; a) the punch was drugged, which seems unlikely since that would have affected a larger number of people on a smaller scale as we each would’ve had less of the substance in our system; b) Mac gave me a Coke with something in it, again an unlikely scenario given the panic my condition apparently induced, and the fact that I really do not believe she would have access to those kind of substances or would feel the need to feed them to me; c) Somebody else had drugged the drink before giving it to Mac, who then passed it to me without ever taking a sip. Of course that brings us to the question of; who would want to drug Mac and why?_

_As much of an idiot as Dick is, I’d hate to think that he was the culprit. He’s less than perfect, to say the least, but slipping a girl he just met drugs to get himself laid doesn’t quite seem like his style. I know when the guys have headed out to TJ a couple of times they’ve probably picked up substances I’d rather not know about but to use them on an innocent outsider like Mac, it just doesn’t add up. I’ve known Dick, Luke, Sean, Casey, all those guys, long enough to know how far they’ll go with an idea. Drugging girls for sex or for anything actually is a little beyond all their ideas of what is acceptable behaviour, even when wasted._

_I do intend to figure out what happened. Sure, I could tell my Dad or even the Sheriff about what happened, and heads would get appropriatley busted until the truth came out. Still, it has to be easier to work this out for myself, else risk the whole world finding out that Veronica Kane, youngest daughter of business tycoon Jake Kane, is all too easily foiled by a pill in her punch._

_The other mystery it seems I need to work some Nancy Drew magic on is Logan Echolls. Far from the conceited jerk I imagined, he actually seems pretty genuine. Though he admitted that he wasn’t so fast in pushing me away when I threw myself at him last night, he did stop things before they went too far. That’s kind of a big deal when we’re talking about a seventeen year old hormone bomb from Neptune High, who is probably used to getting any girl he wants with a Fonz-like click of his fingers. Clearly my attraction to him was helped along by whatever the hell I swallowed last night, but then I think maybe there is something deep inside of me that kind of likes the new boy in town..._

A crash in the hall made Veronica physically jump in her position lotus style on her bed, tapping away on her new laptop. Moving over to the door, she pushed it open to reveal Lilly, silently giggling like a crazy person and shushing at the nobody that surrounded her. Still wearing the same dress she’d gone out in last night, Veronica realised her sister wasn’t in bed, sleeping off a hangover, as she’d suspected - she never came home last night, and this was in fact her big entrance.

“Lilly!” her sister hissed as she looked around to ensure no-one else was there, before grabbing her arm and pulling her into her own room, shutting the door firmly behind them. “Where have you been all night?” Veronica asked, sounding a little too much like Celeste for even her own liking.

“Chill, Mom.” Lilly rolled her eyes. “I was having a good time! You do remember what that’s like, right?” she said, as she dropped down onto the edge of her sisters bed and Veronica came over to join her.

She’d like to be mad at Lilly for her crazy ways, but she never could. She loved her sister too much for them to ever seriously dislike each other, though they had little in common these days and talked less and less.

“Is there a guy?” Veronica asked, her tone half-accusing and yet somehow half-interested too, like a little sister should be.

“There are always guys, Veronica,” Lilly told her with a look and a random hand gesture. “Last night... there was a man,” she said with a giggle, making her seem much more of a young girl than the woman she always thought of herself as.

Veronica knew that Lilly was far from being a virgin, though she didn’t have quite as many conquests as she let people think. Though the subject might make others uncomfortable, the Kane sisters had no problems with talking about sex. It wasn’t as if Lilly shared every gory detail, but she did tell Veronica all about the guys she’d supposedly loved and lost. Whether this had coloured the younger girls perception of the world, Veronica couldn’t be sure. Subconsciously, it may have been knowing that her sister had been quite literally screwed over by a number of guys that made her wary of any that were nice to her, but she couldn’t be sure about that.

“So, this man from last night,” she said as she shut down her computer and moved it off the bed so the two of them could sprawl out more comfortably in slumber party style. “Do I know him?”

“I highly doubt it.” Lilly laughed long and loud as she lay back across the bed with her arms above her head. “Let’s just say he knows how to give a body the full service treatment,” she said, with a suggestive looked as she turned her head to glance at her sister.

Veronica wasn’t sure if that was just supposed to be a dirty remark or something more. Such a phrase usually referred to cars, and those that worked in a garage. Nobody Veronica knew well worked in such a place, hell, nobody she knew well worked at all, at least not at any real and useful job.

“So, you have fun at the party?” Lilly asked suddenly pulling her sister from her thoughts.

“Er, yeah.” Veronica nodded, deciding it was probably best not to tell her elder sister what had really happened to her.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her not to tell Mom and Dad, she totally did. It just seemed to Veronica that it would make life easier if she kept the whole thing quiet for now. Duncan obviously knew but it was doubtful he would go around telling everybody his sister got drugged at Shelley Pomroy’s birthday bash, and Veronica couldn’t see Mac being the gossip girl type either. Besides, until she was exactly sure what had happened to her and why, Veronica would rather keep the whole affair to herself.

Tired as she was, Lilly seemed almost glad that on this particular occasion her sister was not in a sharing mood, and soon headed off to her own room to sleep a while. Veronica sat alone for a while just thinking about what had occurred last night, both with her and with Lilly. She was starting to wonder about all the mysteries in her life that could use a little solving. Perhaps it was all the time she’d spent at the Sheriff’s Department that encouraged her to want answers for everything and leave no stone unturned when looking.

_Veronica Kane’s List of Mysteries_

_1\. Logan Echolls_

_What is it with the new boy in town? Why isn’t he the superficial jackass that I expected? Could it really be that there is a seventeen year old boy that can be a gentleman and a decent human being, whilst not being my own brother Duncan? And could it really be possible that I like this guy???_

_2\. Lilly’s Mystery Man_

_My sister knows how to party and she uses her tricks and games to catch boys like fishermen use flies to catch bass. Maybe that’s not the most sisterly thing I could say about her, but the truth is what it is. As for a new man in her life, its a little odd for her to be so secretive about it. If it was someone at Neptune High, secrets would be impossible to keep, so I have to assume its someone different, at the very least a non-09er. More investigation is needed on this one, but not as a huge priority._

_3\. The Party Incident_

_There is no way I can explain how I ended up unconscious in the arms of Logan Echolls at Shelley Pomroy’s party last night. He seems to think drugs played a part, and given the state of my head this morning, amnesia included, I’m pretty sure he’s right. So, where did the drugs come from? Who put them in my drink? Were they even intend for me? I guess the first person to talk to about it is Mac, but a part of me is a little wary. I always thought I was a good judge of character, but it seems I misjudged Logan. Who’s to say I didn’t do the same with Mac, thinking she was a good person when in fact she was out to sabotage me? It sounds ridiculous even in my own head, but I have to know the truth about this, else always wonder about that night, going crazy not knowing what really happened to me._

_4\. The $1,000,000 Question_

_And finally, I need to find some explanation for me, Veronica Kane, and why I’m having such a hard time feeling like I fit here anymore. Something is up, and I hoped writing down my thoughts and feelings in a diary type way would helped. My head does feel a little more organised when I can read it back off a page, but honestly, I’m not feeling any more like the girls I was or the one I want to be. Finding yourself shouldn’t be this hard, at least, I never thought so. Apparently I was wrong... again!_

“Veronica?” she heard her voice called softly and whipped her head up to see her brother peek around the door. “Hey.” He smiled. “How are you feeling today?”

“Not bad.” She smiled back at him. “Apparently I wasn’t exactly myself last night,” she noted as she shut down her laptop once again and encouraged Duncan to come and sit down.

He grabbed her desk chair, spinning it around to straddle the back as he sat opposite where she was perched on the edge of her bed now.

“I am so sorry, Veronica,” he said solemnly, studying her carpet. “I should’ve made sure you were okay, I...”

“Duncan, come on,” his sister said with a shake of her head as she reached to out her hand on his arm. “You couldn’t know what was going to happen, and it's not like I need a baby-sitter... well, not usually anyway.” She rolled her eyes as she smiled.

“I’m also sorry I had to leave you with Logan,” Duncan quickly told her as he moved to hold onto her hand. “I know he’s not your favourite person, and I am sorry, but-”

“But you had to take Meg home, and Mac, and Duncan I swear if you say that you’re sorry one more time, I might have to kill you,” she declared with humour in her tone.

Her brother laughed lightly at her joke, in spite of the fact last nights situation had been far from amusing.

“Please trust me when I tell you that I am fine,” Veronica told him. “Logan was, shockingly, a perfect gentleman, and when I find out who caused my little trip to the world of the wacky, I will deal with it for myself,” she said with a definite nod, and Duncan knew his twin well enough to know she meant every word she said.


	10. Chapter 10

Veronica wasn’t sure who she was most eager to avoid as she arrived at Neptune High on Monday morning. Yesterday had been spent thinking over what had happened to her Saturday night at Shelley Pomroy’s party, and trying to apportion blame where it was due for her apparent drugged state. Unfortunately, until she got here, amongst the people who she had attended the party with, Veronica knew the mystery would never be solved. This was why she was less than ready to see Mac or Logan or even Dick.

The thought had occurred that the drink that caused her lapse into coma land may have been the Coke her new friend had handed to her, since it seemed to be the last thing Veronica remembered clearly. That made Miss Mackenzie a suspect, but Veronica was having a hard time believing she was really behind all this. That led her onto Dick, who was completely capable of being idiot enough to take drugs, but as far as she was concerned, not really so thoughtless or disgusting to use them on anyone, especially not Mac.

Whomever had spiked the drink, it had led to Veronica waking up in the arms of one Logan Echolls, and the consequently awkward conversation as he explained what had happened and then drove her home still made Miss Kane wince. She was usually so confident and sure of herself. Having to be told how she had behaved and what she’d done by someone else, someone she hadn’t exactly been treating in a friendly way up to now, it didn’t sit at all well with Veronica.

To know she came onto Logan whilst under the influence bothered her in particular. She believed him when he said he hadn’t and wouldn’t ever take advantage of her; no, that wasn’t what worried her. What was making Veronica particularly uncomfortable was the fact she’d wanted to get that close to him, and that even in the harsh light of day she couldn’t let herself explain it away as just drug-induced insanity.

“Veronica!” a voice behind the blonde dragged her from her thoughts and she spun around just short of the doors into the school building, spotting Mac a few feet away, hurrying to catch up to her. “Hey, I’m so glad I found you. Are you okay?” she asked, looking genuinely concerned.

“I’m fine,” Veronica nodded, managing a smile too and starting to wonder how this girl had ever come into her mind as a suspect where her drugging was concerned. “Though apparently you bore witness to my little un-fine moment on Saturday night”

“I am so sorry about that,” Mac said quickly, making Veronica’s mind pull a one-eighty and put the girl with the blue-streaked hair right back in the frame. “I just spent the whole of Sunday going over and over it in my head, and feeling so awful because it has to be my fault, right?”

“Mac, for the sanity of everybody in this conversation,” Veronica said as if the whole thing were giving her a headache. “Did you put something in the drink you gave me?”

“No.” Mac shook her head definitely. “Veronica, I wouldn’t know where to get that stuff even if I wanted it, and I never would,” she said firmly. “Drugs are for idiots and weirdoes.” 

Veronica smiled as she let out a small sigh of relief. She hadn’t wanted to believe her newest friend capable of such a heinous crime, but until she heard the words from Mac herself, she couldn’t quite let herself believe. Now she knew for sure Mac was in no way directly to blame for her condition at the party, however, the chance of her being indirectly linked was all too real.

“So, next big question,” Veronica said as she and Mac headed on into the building. “Where did you get the Coke that you passed on to me?”

Mac looked pained as she looked up and down the hall and everywhere but at her friend. She could lie right now, and whilst she didn’t want to she wasn’t sure how else to do this without making something she was trying to deny all too real.

“I got it from Dick,” she said, quickly adding, “but I don’t believe he put anything in it, that would be crazy, right?”

“I’d like to think so,” Veronica agreed, not wanting to think so badly of the boy either.

Sure, their friend Mr Casablancas could be a real ass and an idiot, but no matter which way they sliced it, neither of them could think of him as so very bad. Besides which, he was so wasted when the girls even arrived at the party, Veronica would be very surprised if he was even capable of aiming a pill or similar into a cup. She doubted he could even walk a straight line or tell who was standing in front of him! That part she was careful not to say aloud, after all, it would only hurt Mac to know her crush probably didn’t even realise she was the very young woman he’d been all over two nights ago.

“Are you really okay?” Mac checked again as they stopped at the bank of lockers. “I mean, I wasn’t sure if we should leave you with Logan but my parents would’ve gone crazy if I stayed out all night and-”

“Mac, it’s fine, honestly. I’m fine, everything’s fine,” Veronica assured her as she unlocked the padlock on her locker door and exchanged some books from her bag. “Logan was a complete gentleman, as weird as that may sound, and all is good. Except for one thing,” she said suddenly as she slammed her locker door shut and turned into the hall as she spotted Dick coming her way.

“Hey, Ronnie,” he said, giving her look. “Y’know if you don’t quit frowning like that you’re gonna get lines and then maybe Logan won’t lurve you anymore,” he teased, though Veronica continued to look unamused.

“Hey Dick.” Mac smiled shyly, offering up half a wave.

“Uh, hi,” he said awkwardly, looking blankly at the geek chick that was vaguely familiar to him.

Immediately Veronica knew this conversation was going to go from bad to worse. Dick clearly didn’t remember anything about spending the evening with Mac and she was going to be so embarrassed when she realised that in front of half the school that suddenly seemed to be in the halls.

“Okay, here’s how we’re gonna do this,” Veronica said suddenly, checking around them that no-one was paying too much attention before bundling Dick into the nearest empty classroom and slamming the door shut behind herself.

“Woah,” Dick exclaimed, a little stunned as he turned to face her. “Seriously, Ronnie, you’ve got some issues lately,” he told her pushing a hand back through his hair. “Though I gotta say, I’m not so much going to mind helping you through them if you want.” He winked, much to Veronica’s disgust.

“Get over yourself, Casablancas,” she told him with appropriate eye-roll. “This is serious. What do you remember about Shelley’s party Saturday night?” she asked him, the intensity of her glare telling him that for at least a few minutes he had to be straight with her.

Veronica wasn’t exactly known for being scary, but lately she was more distant from the gang, a little colder. Rumours were starting to circulate about her that Dick never assisted in spreading, but he heard them all the same. She just wasn’t the same fun girl she used to be as far as he could tell. That was perhaps why he was so confused by Logan’s apparent interest in her, since the Echolls’ boy had only met the new and weird Veronica Kane.

“I remember a party and a good time.” He shrugged. “I don’t know, mostly I was wasted on free booze,” he admitted, and Veronica knew that was at least true.

“Do you remember being all over Mac?” she asked next, guessing he didn’t and feeling bad for her new friend, even as she knew she ought to be concentrating on her own issue here.

“Mac?” Dick echoed, and though the blank look on his face wasn’t wholly new or different, Veronica wasn’t buying this time. “Who’s Mac?” he asked and she shook her head.

“Smooth, Dick, real smooth,” she said sarcastically with a wry smile on her lips. “Let’s forget for a moment that you’re the asshole that is now going to deny all memory of time spent with my new friend, the non-09er, and remember that you and me at least used to be some kind of friends.”

“Hey, dude, we’re still friends,” he said, looking almost affronted that she would suggest otherwise. “You’re just... weird lately.”

“Whatever.” Veronica waved away his comments. “Dick, c’mon, please. I need to know where you got the drink you gave to Mac and what was in it.”

To his credit the young man before her did look as if he were making every effort to dredge up some sense from the murky mixed up memories of Saturday night. At least Veronica had reaffirmed what a crappy liar Dick was earlier in the conversation, that would help her when he did give an answer on this far more important question.

“Madison,” he said eventually, clicking his fingers in some kind of Eureka moment. “Yeah, she was being totally non-bitch, which was weird 'cause we totally broke up.”

“You broke up?” Veronica checked, thinking it strange that she hadn’t heard.

“Oh, yeah.” Dick rolled his eyes. “It was boring, y’know? She never wanted to... well, y’know,” he explained, knowing Ronnie would understand what he meant, “and everything I did was, like ‘Dick, you’re such an idiot’,” he said, as he affected a girlish tone. “So we ended it, I started the party a little early, and then I saw her at Shelley’s with some college dude.” He shook his head.

Veronica knew they were getting off topic and none of this was helping her. Plus the bell was going to ring at any moment and she could do without a detention to add to her already bad day.

“Okay, so you two were broken up, but later she gave the girl you were hanging all over a Coke?” She shook her head, not understanding that at all. “Why would Madison want to drug Mac?” she checked.

Sure, Ms Sinclair was bitch enough to want to see harm to come to anyone else her ex showed an interest in, but it still didn’t make sense that the drug-laced cola drink came from her. She’d never have access to that kind of stuff as far as Veronica could see, and she’d gain little or nothing from using it on Mac. All that would likely have happened is Dick and Mac would’ve got it on, and that thought just made Veronica’s stomach flip over, in no kind of good way.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Ronnie.” He shrugged, looking as honest as she’d ever seen him lately. “Mad was passing out drinks, she got me a beer, she got your friend Mac a Coke and that’s like one of the last things I remember,” he told her, as the bell rang and he walked by her headed off to class.

“Yeah, me too,” Veronica said to herself as she turned and watched him go.

It had seemed unlikely from the beginning that Dick was the culprit, but to land the blame on Madison? That didn’t add up either. Still, knowing as she did that being late for class definitely wasn’t going to help her situation one bit, Veronica hurried from the empty room off towards her first period class. She honestly didn’t see who was in front of her until she’d ploughed right into him, and then it was too late to avoid a conversation.

“I’m sorry, I... Logan.” She half-smiled when she realised who it was, knowing deep down she was kind of pleased to see him and yet also feeling awkward as hell after the events of Saturday night and Sunday morning.

“Hey, Veronica.” He smiled back at her. “Er, how’re you feeling today?”

“I’m fine, thanks, but I... I have to get to class,” she said quickly, hurrying on by and getting into her classroom, leaving Logan staring behind her, his mouth hanging open where he’d planned to speak and not really been given a chance.

She had a habit of doing that lately, running off when he had something to say. Not that he knew what he really did want to say to her, and it would be nothing profound if he did, he was sure, but that wasn’t the point. Still, later he would catch up to her, maybe at lunch or whatever. She had to talk to him eventually, if only to explain why she didn’t seem to want to.

_I should be paying attention to Ms Dent, I know that, but right now this is more important. It seems that whilst I’ve half-solved one problem, I have also gained another. The path of those drugs I accidentally swallowed at Shelley’s party has led me back as far as Madison, and though I can’t say I’m thrilled at the prospect of having any kind of conversation with her, serious or otherwise, it should be a pretty easy case to crack amongst the gang that I’ve been around for so many years._

_Unfortunately, my questioning of Dick led to his making it very clear that he was embarrassed about spending time with Mac at the party. Presumably his 09er-ness makes it impossible for him to view the so-called ‘lower classes’ of Neptune High as anything but dirt under his feet. Of course, I can’t make him like her, but if he treats her with anything other than respect and I get to hear about it, there will be consequences. If nothing else, I’ll make sure he doesn’t sit comfortably for a week..._

_That aside, I still have to deal with this issue I’m having with Logan. God, when did he start being a factor in my life? When he first arrived, I was convinced it was Lilly that would be all over him and he would probably appreciate her attention, and that would be that. Another pair of rich and pretty people making a couple that would last on its own shining fakeness as so many had done before them. It had never once occurred to me that Logan would rather focus his attention on me, or that I would start to realise I kind of liked him too._

_I don’t deal too well with guys, not anymore. I’m fine when I’m cutting them off at the knees or questioning them over some crime, like before with Dick. I still manage pretty decent conversations with my brother, despite the fact that Duncan and I have a lot less stuff in common these days. Unfortunately, I’m having similar issues facing Logan that I once had with Troy..._

_Ah, Troy, my infamous first love. He was sweet and cute and he made me laugh, we got along really well until I found he was also a liar and a cheat, with a serious addiction to floating high above the world in a cloud of psychedelic wonder._

_I’d like to say it didn’t hurt that much, that love was never a factor. I can try to fool myself, but he did break my heart and I guess that has made me more wary of liking any guy so much again. As nice as Logan may seem, I’m not diving into another relationship with him or with anyone. In the end, we all get our hearts broken - me, Mac, maybe even Madison if it can be proven she had a heart to break. No good-looking guy, gentleman or not, can be worth that, can they?_


	11. Chapter 11

_Today is not a good day for concentration, at least not on school work. Fortunately, much like my brother, I seem to have some kind of intelligence that will not be repressed. We’re not geeks or anything and I’m not going to be so big-headed as to claim to be some kind of genius, though our Dad has been known to call us that. He likes to crow about his kids achievements, says it’s all in the genes, his genes specifically which never thrills my Mom too much, but you have to admit that Dad is the big brain in our family overall. Anyway, I’m getting off topic, which seems to be the order of the day. Today should’ve been about Math, English, and the school newspaper, instead it has been almost entirely taken up by trying to crack the case of who drugged me at Shelley Pomroys party, and also with thoughts of Logan Echolls._

_I’m sure any teen psychologist or similar would tell me its perfectly fine and normal for me to be spending a lot of time thinking about a boy I like, but it’s not me. Lilly is the boy crazy sister, I’m the other one who knows better, despite the fact I’m younger by just over a year. Troy did a number on me, that’s for sure. I know it’s down to him that I’m so wary of guys now, why I never took the plunge and handed over my heart to any other of those ‘upstanding young men’ my father introduced me to at his boring company parties, or the sweet but often stupid guys that fill the halls of Neptune High._

_Now there is Logan, the new boy in town, all around nice guy, or so it would seem, and not anything like the young man described in countless magazines and trashy TV shows as his father’s prodigy when it comes to womanising and partying hard. I can’t imagine that Neptune and its residents have inspired him to suddenly be a saint after apparently being a sinner so long. Which suggests either the media got it wrong, which would honestly not be a shocker, or Neptune’s newest student is not all he seems to be. Excuse my suspicious mind, but I’m going with the latter right now..._

“Hey, Veronica.” Duncan smiled when she spotted her at the back table of the library, tapping away on her laptop. “How come you’re not outside with the rest of the gang?”

“I could ask you the same,” she said smartly, since he too seemed to wanting to spend his lunch break in the library, but then she suspteced it had rather more to do with being alone with the girl whose hand he was holding than the books that surrounded them. “Hey, Meg,” she greeted the other blonde with a smile that was quickly returned.

“Somebody’s been shopping in the technology section,” she noted, eyeing the computer on the desk, which Veronica quickly closed the lid on.

“What can I say?” She shrugged. “Love of computers runs in the family, I guess,” she said, sliding the laptop into its case and out of sight.

“Well, we have studying to do, so-” Duncan said as he moved to walk away, but his sister called him back.

“Actually, Meg, could I talk to you for a second?” she asked, gesturing for her to sit down. “You too, Duncan,” she added when he looked uncertain as to whether he should stay or go, dependant on how girly or private the conversation might be or become.

“Is something wrong, Veronica?” Meg checked, noting the other girls serious looks.

“Kind of.” She nodded once. “I take it Duncan didn’t tell you exactly what happened to me at the party Saturday night?” she said as both girls looked at Duncan and he shifted awkwardly.

“I didn’t know if I should be telling anybody,” he said defensively, and his sister smiled.

“Its fine, it’s not exactly my proudest moment and I could use the whole school not hearing about it, but this is important,” she said, looking serious once again as she looked to her brother’s almost-girlfriend. “Meg, somebody spiked my drink at Shelley’s party, with drugs,” she explained, as the other blonde took a sharp intake of breath. “I traced the offending Coke back through my friend Mac to Dick, who swears he didn’t put anything in it.”

“If he did, I’ll kill him,” Duncan swore, sounding uncharacteristically angry, but then where his sisters were concerned he was entirely protective.

“Easy, killer.” Veronica smirked at her twin’s enthusiasm. “I know it wasn’t Dick,” she assured them both. “When I saw him, prior to my trip to psychedelica, he couldn’t even walk a straight line, there is no way he was sober enough to be spiking drinks without making a scene.” She rolled her eyes. “But he did say he remembered some girls handing out drinks, one of which may have been Madison,” she went on to explain. “I was just wondering if you were anywhere around, or if you saw anything?” she said hopefully. “I know it’s a long shot but-”

“I saw something.” Meg nodded solemnly. “but I swear I didn’t see any drugs. It was just Madison, I think she gave your friend Mac a trip to the dentist.”

“She gave her a what?” Duncan checked, looking bemused, but Veronica knew exactly what that meant.

“Madison has been using the same disgusting trick since fifth grade,” his sister told him. “She spits in her drink and passes it on to some unsuspecting person, laughing evilly to herself as they drink it.” She sighed. “And she calls it a trip to the dentist.”

“But her spitting in a drink doesn’t explain how you got drugged?” Duncan shook his head until Meg cut in and explained further.

“Yes, it does.” She nodded. “Madison was mad at Dick for breaking up with her, so she brought this college guy to the party. He was a friend of her cousin I think, but he didn’t look trustworthy to me,” she said, almost physically shuddering at just the thought of him. “He brought Madison a full fat Coke and she went apoplectic in that way only Madison can.” She rolled her eyes. “There’s no telling what he put in there before he gave it to her.” She shook her head, looking gravely between Duncan and Veronica.

“Wow,” the blonde said flatly. “And here was me thinking some guy wanted his wicked way with me, and all the time it was some sleaze trying to get Madison into bed.” She smiled wryly, as her brother shot her a somewhat scathing look, after all, this was not really something to be joking about.

“Well, at least you solved the case.” Meg smiled. “That’s a good thing, and so long as you’re okay now.”

“I really am,” Veronica assured her with a similar grin as all three of them got up from their seats. “Thanks to an unlikely combination of Mac and Logan.”

“Y’know I think he really likes you,” her friend continued to smile much to Veronica’s embarrassment and particular amusement.

“Well, who wouldn’t?” she joked, before telling her brother she’d see him later and disappearing out of the library.

Veronica was smiling as she stepped out into the hall and thought about her next move. It was good to have some idea how she ended up in the state that she had Saturday night. Though she would like to fill in the blanks between the drugging and the waking up in Logan’s arms, it was unlikely she’d ever know exactly what had occurred, and for the most part she knew she was probably better off not knowing anyway.

Still, the information she had she would use to her advantage, and that made her even happier as she headed out onto the quad. She spotted Mac in one direction and the 09ers in the other and decided she was going to kill two birds with one stone, as she headed to her newest friend first.

“Hey, Veronica,” the dark-haired girl smiled before she was unceremoniously pulled up from her seat by her elbow.

“Come with me.” Her friend grinned as she pulled her over towards the 09er table, much to Mac’s dismay, though she allowed herself to be taken cross the quad and stood nervously beside Veronica as she faced her friends.

“Hey, V, what’s up?” her older sister asked her, before looking Mac over distastefully.

“I’m glad you asked that, Lilly.” Veronica smiled as she looked around the assembled group, including Dick, Casey, Luke, Madison, Shelley, and Logan. “You see, I’m having a little trouble remembering the latter parts of Shelley’s party, and I just found out how that happened.”

“Somebody got a little wasted,” Luke muttered, remembering all too well how Veronica had thrown herself at him as well as Casey and others.

“No,” Veronica snapped. “Somebody got a little drugged,” she explained, much to the shock of her assembled friends. “And apparently the culprit was none other than the charming college friend of our Ms Sinclair,” she said, a blade hidden in the sugar sweetness of her tone as all eyes turned to Madison.

“What are you talking about, Veronica?” the other girl asked with a bored sigh and accompanying eyeroll.

“I’m talking about the drink your little boyfriend gave you,” she explained, flipping between angry and not between almost every word as she tried to keep herself in check. “The one you spit in and gave to Mac, who innocently passed it on to me,” she told not just Madison but the whole table. “Since the last thing I remember is drinking that Coke, I’m thinking your pathetic attempt at making Dick jealous back-fired just a little bit,” she snapped, and even Madison had the good grace to look at least a little embarrassed. “Don’t worry, Mad,” Veronica called behind her, as she scrambled from her seat and hurried away. “We’re not the only ones that wish Saturday night never happened,” she explained, turning her eyes on Dick.

He mostly had his back to her but her eyes burning into the back of his head made him turn around, facing both Veronica and Mac.

“Dude, why’s she staring at me?” he said, almost nervously as he glanced at Logan.

He just shrugged non-commitally as he watched the scene unfold, wondering at how incredible this young woman really was. Not that he hadn’t already noticed, a lot in fact, but each and every time he encountered her she proved it all over again.

“Dick, you remember Mac?” she said, gesturing to the girl beside her. “Y’know, the one you spent most of Shelley’s party falling all over?”

“Er, yeah, sure,” he said shifting in his seat. “I mean, kind of, I guess.”

“Good.” Veronica nodded once. “Now, how about you make a little room at the table for me and our good friend here? Maybe buy us some lunch before I think of anything else I want to say,” she said, looking pointedly at the blond, who quickly moved over to make space for the girls.

Mac didn’t know what to say or even think as she squeezed onto the bench between the man of her dreams and her new kick-ass friend. Veronica herself was, for the first time, a little more comfortable here at the 09er table. Whether it was because she’d brought in her new friend for company, or because she’d exerted some authority over the idiots that surrounded her, she couldn’t be sure, but that didn’t matter right now.

“Way to take charge, little sister.” Lilly laughed at the crazy scene she’d just witnessed, before getting up to leave, presumably to go make sure Madison was okay, still the wink she tipped Veronica’s way proved her words were real enough, no joke or sarcasm for a change.

“She got that right,” said Logan, from across the table and Veronica glanced up at him.

She’d solved a couple of problems today; the mystery of who drugged her drink at the party, and how she was going to stop Dick from dropping Mac like a hot brick following Saturday nights escapades. Of course her issue with the new boy in town still remained.

“Um, y’know I forgot something from my locker,” she said quickly getting up from her seat. “I’ll be right back.” She smiled as she practically ran away.

Logan got up to follow her but then thought better of it, particularly when Dick made a joke about him following Veronica around like a little lost puppy. The last thing he wanted was a rep for being whipped by some girl that barely paid attention to him, and yet Logan knew that was true. He was falling hard and fast for Miss Veronica Kane, and there was not a thing he could do about it. Unfortunately, she seemed determined to avoid him for whatever reason, and until he could find out why that might be, he stood no chance of getting close to her.


	12. Chapter 12

_What is the definition of crazy? I once heard it described as the practise of repeating the same action over and over and expecting different results. Is it any wonder then that I’m starting to wonder about my own sanity as I spend each day attempting to avoid a certain person, knowing that he’s always going to catch up to me at some point or other? This is High School, after all. We all have to be here every day, there are no means of escape, and we are destined to meet with our fellow students day in and day out whether we like it or not. My attempts to avoid Logan Echolls are futile at best and yet I’m trying all the same._

_If I felt nothing for him I wouldn’t have to avoid him. The fact that I’m making such a huge deal of staying out of his way strongly suggests that I’m feeling something for him, even if that feeling is undefined right now. I’m not blind or stupid, I know what a catch he is, and that pretty much any girl in school would fall over and die if he so much as smiled at them, but not me. I seem to be immune to his charms, ‘seem’ being the operative word since I know he’s working his way into my life, my mind, and is making a beeline for more important places, like my heart. Don’t worry, I’m not about to return to my princess-wish fantasies of yesteryear, believing that some day my prince will come, and in the form of Logan Echolls, but I have to admit that he would probably be the one guy I would be willing to date, if I were willing to date at all._

_The problem is that dating is off my to do list and I intend to keep it that way. You might think that makes me a little crazy too, a sixteen year old girl that doesn’t want to date the cutest guy in school! That has to make me insane right? Unfortunately, I’ve got my fingers burnt and my heart broken once before and it changed me, a lot._

_I wonder if that’s where it started, my dislike for my old friends and world. The 09ers are increasingly superficial and I was destined to be just another blonde bimbo clone, albeit with a little more brain than some of the airheads that surrounded me. I dated Troy because he was hot and sweet and he probably chose me for similar reasons. Whether he was a good person or not, well, I guess I thought he was, but that wasn’t based on anything concrete. I was fifteen and I wanted a boyfriend, just because Lilly and my friends all had one, just because I thought I was supposed to._

_Within days I’d convinced myself I was in love and so my heart was appropriately shattered when I discovered that not only was Troy the type that had a girl in every port, but that his sometimes shifty behaviour was not all about the cheating, it was also about drugs. He was shipped off to Catholic boarding school, or so the rumours said, all I know is I’d managed to hold on to my boyfriend for just two beautiful months before my world collapsed around me._

_All this put a severe dent in my trust of guys, and people in general to be honest. People, particularly the 09er crowd, prove themselves time and again to be untrustworthy and not at all what they seem. A couple of my friends had suspected Troy of cheating on me and yet never said a word. Another knew he had a drug habit but kept that quiet too, despite knowing I would never have been with him if I’d known the truth._

_I know its bad to take my anger at Troy out on Logan or anyone else for that matter, but I can’t help it. Starting to like another guy that seems cute and sweet and everything, it kinda seems like suicide for my heart that has already been through the ringer once this year._

_I guess my helping out at the Sherriff’s station this Summer put the final nail in the coffin, finding out just how many people I thought seemed decent and honest were actually petty thieves and crooks._

_All this from going into the station to pay off a parking ticket and getting chatting to Sheriff Mars who had just got back from a complicated crime scene. Its all so interesting and kind of exciting. How investigations are done and crimes are solved. I’m not saying I’m looking at a definite future career in law enforcement or anything, but every girl needs a hobby and I’m not exactly the horse-riding or jewellery-making type._

_Of course, I could get into the matchmaking biz. Dick was being a total ass about Mac, despite the fact I’m pretty sure he might actually like her. I managed to force them together a couple of times, but Dick seems to be the one person Mac can’t form a sentence around, and if his friends are within glaring distance our Mr Casablancas is less than willing to play nice. Not that I’m desperate for them to get it on or anything, I just hate the idea that someone like Mac is immediately overlooked by the 09ers just because she wasn’t lucky enough to be born into money._

_If my Dad lost his fortune tomorrow, would I be shunned from the group that were supposedly my friends? If one of us discovered we were adopted or something, would that be grounds to be ousted if our true parents were ordinary people instead of business tycoons, movie stars, and similar? The whole thing makes me mad at the world for being so stupid, and also makes me wonder why I’m trying so hard to fit in amongst people that I’m not even sure I trust to stand by me in any crisis that might come my way..._

As the bell rang, Veronica shut off her laptop, hid it back in its bag and prepared to sneak out from under the bleachers without being spotted. Unfortunately for her, one too many people had learnt of her little Fortress of Solitude, and her absence from the lunch table for the third day running had sparked interest. This, Veronica assumed, was why she found Logan Echolls hovering a few feet away when she emerged into the sunlight once again.

“Y’know I had a feeling I’d find you here.” He smiled as he pushed off the wall he’d been leaning against and moved towards her.

“Any particular reason that you feel the need to stalk me?” Veronica asked, not sure whether she’d meant to make that sound like a joke or an accusation and immediately wishing she hadn’t said it at all.

“I don’t know.” Logan smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I just thought maybe I could walk you to class, catch up or something. We haven’t really talked since the party.”

“We weren’t exactly big talking buddies before it either, Logan,” Veronica pointed out, again with the ambiguous tone and expression that she was too afraid to change right now, it seemed safer to be neither one thing or the other right now, until she figured out how she was going to deal with this thing, whatever the hell it was.

“Are you always this friendly or should I feel special?” he asked her, sarcasm evident, as he stopped at the bottom of the steps up into the building and waited for an answer.

Veronica paused at the top step and looked back at him.

“If it wasn’t clear already, I just like to be left alone,” she said flatly before turning back towards the building and heading off inside.

Logan expelled a breath as he spun around the bottom of the stair rail and sat down on the low wall beside it with a thud. He thought he understood girls, thought he was pretty good with them actually. Those that knew of his family’s fame and fortune were quick to be his, and those that required some persuasion weren’t usually so difficult to convince. He had charm, that was for sure, and looks was a given. He wasn’t so superficial as to think every girl he met should fall at his feet, and Veronica was a refreshing change in that she was a challenge, but this particular challenge was now bordering on a painful trial. Had this whole thing just been for fun he would’ve given up by now, but Logan knew he was in too deep for that.

Unfortunately, whilst his current aim in life was to get close to Veronica Kane, her’s seemed to be to avoid him at all costs. Everything had changed Saturday night, and though Logan thought it was progress he’d made it now seemed to be an almighty mistake! Though it had been proven he was not the one to drug Veronica, and he had confessed to all that had happened between them, as well as promising her it hadn’t been anything serious, Logan still felt like he’d done something to upset her. Veronica seemed happy enough with him, grateful even, as he drove her home Sunday morning and kissed his cheek as she climbed out of his car.

Since then, it was as if something else had happened, something he wasn’t even aware of, and now a switch had flipped and Veronica didn’t want to know him. Logan had mentioned it to Duncan, in a round about way. Of course Veronica’s twin knew that he quite liked the girl, and whilst he found it kind of squicky to think of anybody taking a romantic interest in her, he didn’t seem to mind so much that the man in question was Logan. All he’d say was Veronica was different lately, and that she was kind of wary of people. He wouldn’t elaborate and Logan wasn’t sure how much he should push it, but of course if Veronica herself was not forthcoming, that left few people to turn to for advice on how to handle the tempestuous blonde.

Lilly was nice enough, but even talking to her seemed to encourage her in thinking she was wanted in some big and/or sexual way. Logan wasn’t willing to risk that, especially since she finally seemed to have given up in her quest to get him for herself. Mac might have been another option, but she was Veronica’s newest friend, and as such unlikely to know what changes had occurred in her and why.

All this thinking had achieved was giving Logan a headache and making him late for class, it certainly wasn’t getting him any closer to Veronica. The only way he could think to do that was to do what his father was always telling him and ‘be a man’. Resolved to get some kind of conversation out of Veronica the very next time he saw her, and in particular some explanation as to why she was suddenly treating him like he was practically a leper, Logan headed on up into the school building and off to his next class.

* * *

_It’s official, I’m a coward, which by the way I hate to admit even to myself and the non-existent person I talk to each and every time I write in this journal. So, why have I decided I have no spine? Simple. I can’t face Logan Echolls._

_I spent my entire day taking different routes around the school halls purposefully to avoid him, most especially after lunch when I actually had to talk to him. I was a prize bitch and for no good reason, at least no reason that anyone but me really understands. I know the least I owe him is an explanation as to why I’m being Little Miss Avoidy, if I didn’t understand that I wouldn’t be up at one in the morning, unable to sleep because I feel so bad for giving this perfectly nice guy the cold shoulder._

_I should face him, tell him what the deal is, but even if I could explain my lack of wanting to date or get close to a guy since Troy, that would mean admitting I actually like him, and that I assume he feels that way about me too. No matter how sure I think I am about what he’s thinking or feeling, I am not about to say it out loud. I guess the only way to deal is to try and act naturally and normally, see if anything actually does happen, and if it does then run away screaming? No, then I would have to explain, tell Logan he’s a nice guy and all, and I’m totally flattered, but nothing is going to happen because I don’t feel that way about him._

_Yeah, that’s easier said than done, mostly because I do feel that way about him, or I’m starting too. God, how the hell did this happen to me? The more I think about him and how I might be causing pain, the worse I feel. I could not feel so bad about this if I didn’t care..._

Veronica stopped typing when she thought she heard a sound beyond her door. Listening closely over the near-silent hum of the computer in her lap, she was sure there was something, or more specifically someone, creeping around in the hallway. Carefully and quietly she pulled herself out of bed, gently placing her laptop out of harms way as she moved over to the door and silently prised it open. Another creak of a floorboard was heard as she peeked with one eye through the gap, wondering what she would see. Lilly hadn’t gone out tonight, she was sure of it, and it was unlikely Duncan would be up so late.

Suddenly there was a giggle, most definitely a sound that came from Lilly, and Veronica frowned. Maybe her sister had crept out to somewhere she never should’ve been and was now coming home drunk, but that didn’t explain how someone else was shushing her as she continued in her laughter.

“Goodnight, lover,” said Lilly softly, though Veronica couldn’t see anyone yet.

Sounds that suggested kissing followed, making the younger girl wince a moment, before she went back to concentrating.

“I’ll see ya tomorrow, babe,” whispered a male voice that Veronica didn’t recognise, and yet when she saw a leather-clad figure pass her door, she knew only too well what (or rather whom) her sister had been doing.

Veronica was sure she’d never been so shocked as she recoiled into her room and closed the door quietly, gasping;

“Lilly and Weevil?”


	13. Chapter 13

“So what do you think?” Mac asked the still silent Veronica who was staring off into space the same way she had been the entire lunch break so far.

“Yeah,” the blonde said absently, as Mac smirked.

“So it’s settled, tomorrow at lunch we run around the quad in our underwear,” she joked, wondering if even that would get her friends attention back from whatever planet it was on - it worked.

“What?!” Miss Kane gasped and Mac chuckled with laughter and the shocked expression on her friends face.

“Where were you, Veronica?” she asked her. “You do know you’re going to hurt yourself if you keep staring like that, right?” she said as she picked at the lunch she had yet to identify.

“They say if you’re caught in a stare it means your mind needs a break,” Veronica said absently, not much caring for the sight of her lunch either, even if she did know what it was and would normally like it. “I guess my mind’s been a little over-busy lately.”

“Do you want to talk about something? Anything?” Mac offered, a little unsurely.

She didn’t really have that many friends, and those she did have were mostly male, since computer wizardry seemed to be somewhat more popular with the opposite gender. Girl friends wasn’t really a concept Mac had been involved with much, and she still found it a little awkward, even if Veronica had proved herself to be a very cool person these past couple of weeks.

“I don’t know if I should.” Veronica sighed, glancing over her shoulder at the 09er table where she used to sit every day.

Now she tended to alternate between their company and that of Mac, or just drag her newest friend over there with her, but that almost always created extra-weirdness for all. It shouldn’t, but it did. As she looked their way her focus went to Lilly, laughing and messing around with the guys like she always did. It made it seem all the more strange that just last night she’d seen her darling sister saying goodnight and letting Eli ‘Weevil’ Navarro, the head of the local biker gang, out of her bedroom. One thing was for sure, they hadn’t been braiding each others hair!

“Is it Logan?” Mac checked, and it was only then that Veronica realised whilst her attention had been on her sister, Mac had spotted the one member of the 09er table that wasn’t part of the Lilly fan club.

Logan Echolls only had eyes for Veronica and whilst she stared right past him he continued to watch her. It ought to be creepy and weird, but for Veronica it was equal parts flattering and embarrassing.

“Partly, yes.” Veronica sighed as she turned back and looked at Mac. “He is one on a long list of confusion right now,” she admitted.

“What’s the confusion?” Mac shrugged. “He obviously likes you and you like him, right? That’s more than I can get out of Dick.” She smiled wryly as Veronica did the same and shook her head.

“I know it should be simple,” she admitted. “Gorgeous, sensitive, funny, gentlemanly guy who likes me and the best tactic I can come up with is ‘Run for the hills!’” she said with appropriate over the top gesture. “But I’ve been here before.” She sighed. “You remember Troy Van Degraff?”

“Who doesn’t?” she said with a look. “Busted for drug possession and expelled, that’s the kind of thing that gets you remembered.”

“Yeah.” Veronica sighed. “I guess it does. It also gets your girlfriend very paranoid and less than trusting of possible future boyfriends,” she said with a look and Mac looked awkward.

“Oh,” she said, for lack of anything else to say.

She hadn’t realised that Veronica was Troy’s ex, if she had she’d have been slightly more tactful when she spoke about him. Of course, it was a little too late to take it back now, not that Veronica seemed mad about it, so that was cool.

“I don’t know what’s the matter with me.” Veronica sighed, slamming her fork down onto her plate in annoyance. “It's not like all guys are bad news just because one hurt me, and I know that,” she admitted. “It’s just... well, there aren’t a lot of things that scare me, but getting my heart broken again? Kind of number two of the very short list.”

“Number two?” Mac asked with a questioning look, obviously wondering what number one was.

“Spiders,” Veronica admitted. “Another irrational and yet very real fear.”

“Right there with you.” Her friend nodded once before the conversation went back to the more serious topic they’d started on. “So, is the Logan thing the only major problem right now?” Mac checked, and Veronica considered the question a moment,

She knew the answer was no, that wasn’t the only thing on her mind, but it didn’t seem right to be telling her friend about her sisters affair with the head of the biker gang when she hadn’t even had a chance to level the charges at Lilly yet. This morning she’d been out the house before Veronica had a chance to catch up with her, and had since been stuck to her friends or in class where her sister could not reach her without making a scene. It would just have to wait until later when they got home tonight, when Veronica would hopefully have a chance to straighten out that particular bout of confusion.

“Y’know if my biggest problem is some high school guy liking me a little too much, I guess that makes me pretty lucky,” Veronica said suddenly, glancing at Logan, who was trying to look as if he hadn’t been staring at her this whole time, and Mac who gave her a smile.

“Gotta agree with that,” she said with a nod, as a boy appeared behind her and started talking about some computer thing he needed assistance with.

Veronica thought he may as well be speaking Chinese as far as she was concerned, since she got lost after the first sentence of his conversation with Mac, who was soon apologising but saying she really had to go help out with whatever the problem was.

“Its fine, really,” Veronica assured her with a smile. “I think it’s about time I bit the bullet,” she said, her meaning clear as Mac followed her friends eyeline to the 09er table.

“It’ll be fine, Veronica,” Mac assured her, putting a hand to her arm breifly, before the two friends parted ways.

Taking a deep breath, Veronica Kane decided now was the time and enough was enough. She couldn’t deal with little lost puppy eyes from Logan every time she turned around, and it was unfair to leave him hanging without an explanation, so that was what he would get. Heading on over to the 09er table, she pretty much ignored everybody else as he went straight over to Logan.

“Hi,” she said bravely and he smiled despite his surprise that she’d come over purposefully to talk to him.

Immediately Logan’s defensive sarcasm came into play and he made a big deal of looking around both sides of himself and under the table he was perched on.

“What, me?” he said looking overly bemused on purpose. “God don’t tell me my prayers have been answered and I’m no longer invisible.” He smiled annoyingly, making Veronica wonder why she cared that she might be hurting him all this time.

“We need to talk,” she said sharply, encouraging him to get up and follow her as she turned to walk away once again.

“You okay, Veronica?” her brother called from his place at the table and she spared her twin a smile.

“I’m fine,” she promised him. “I just need to talk to Logan for a minute,” she explained as the young Mr Echolls hopped down from his place to join her and they walked across the quad, around the school building, to that secret hiding place of hers beneath the bleachers.

Sneaking out of sight of all prying eyes and ears, Veronica took a breath and faced him.

“Logan, we need to talk,” she said again and he nodded once as he stuffed his hands into his pockets,

“Yes, you said that,” he reminded her. “Though I gotta say, I’m a little confused, since just a couple of days ago you were giving met the Greta Garbo speech.”

“I know.” She sighed. “I know, and what I said was true, but you at least deserve an explanation,” she told him. “Logan, I get the feeling that you like me,” she said, eyes on the ground, until she heard him laugh lightly and glanced up.

“Really? You think that?” he asked her. “And here was me thinking I was being subtle,” he said sarcastically, which only served to infuriate Veronica rather than lighten the mood at all.

“Look,” she said with a sigh. “The fact is, you’re a nice guy, Logan, and I’m not blind, I mean, you know how hot you are,” she said, fidgeting somewhat awkwardly. “The thing is, I’ve been here before, and because of how badly that ended, I can’t be here again,” she explained with a definite shake of her head, though when she looked over at Logan and saw him looking back at her, all innocent and confused she felt wretched just for being honest. “I don’t date,” she said and Logan smirked slightly at the sentence.

“Because one guy treated you like crap you’ve sworn off men entirely at sixteen?” he checked, finding it somewhat amusing. “Veronica, that’s crazy.”

“Fine, then I’m crazy,” she said, a little too loudly. “I don’t care, I’m just giving you the explanation I think you deserve.”

“I don’t want your explanation, Veronica,” Logan told her as he pushed off the post he’d been leaning against and moved towards her. “In case it wasn’t already obvious,” he said as he stood mere inches in front of her now, “I just want you.”

“Well, life is full of disappointments,” she said more softly than she’d meant to as she glanced up and their eyes met.

Though she’d been so determined when she started the conversation, her little speech about not dating and never wanting to, Veronica suddenly found herself overcome by a terrible urge to kiss Logan Echolls. It wasn’t the plan, it had never been the plan, and yet she wanted it, she really, really wanted it. Apparently she wasn’t the only one feeling that way, as Logan, decided enough was enough, made the necessary move and put his lips to hers.

Pleased that she wasn’t pushing him away and yelling at him, Logan made the most of the opportunity and let his hands drift to Veronica’s waist, pulling her closer and keeping her there. Her arms found their way up around his neck as they continued to kiss until they couldn’t bear to go a moment longer without breathing.

Though their lips were forced to part, they stayed close together, arms around each other as they stared into each others eyes and contemplated what they’d done. Veronica wasn’t sure her legs were going to hold her if she moved away and yet staying here in Logan’s embrace wasn’t helping either. God, but the boy could kiss, and those feelings she’d thought were building inside her heart for him were firmly set in stone in that moment as he smiled down at her. She was falling for him, he was clearly doing the same for her, and yet the beautiful feelings he awoke in her only served to remind Veronica of the last time she’d felt this way, and the heartbreak that followed.

“Damn!” she cursed herself for what she’d just allowed to happen, as well as for the fact the school bell was ringing, and she was probably going to be late for class.

Pulling away from Logan, she turned to run away, quite literally, but he wouldn’t let her go so easily. He made a grab for her arm as she tried to get away but missed and his calling her name behind her did no good as she literally ran way from him. Leaning in the gap to the space beneath the bleachers, Logan rested his head against his arm and watched Veronica go, feeling possibly even more confused than he had when the conversation had begun.

Of course, one thing had been achieved in the past ten minutes. When he actually took the initiative, as he’d planned to do, and kissed her, she hadn’t pushed him away or slapped him. No, Veronica Kane had responded to what he started and kissed him back with equal passion to that which he felt. That meant something, whether she wanted it to or not, and despite the fact she’d since run away from him, Logan couldn’t help but smile. He was getting to her, bit by bit, breaking down her walls, and nothing made him happier.

* * *

“Veronica!” Lilly called for the third time, waving her hand between her younger sisters face and the computer screen. “Geez, you really have to stop getting so deep into your thoughts. You’re going to hurt yourself, little sister,” she declared as she sat down on the bed beside the blonde, who quickly shut the lid of her laptop and sighed.

“Weirdly, you’re not the first person to tell me that today,” she admitted with a wry smile. “Lilly, I think I did a stupid thing,” she admitted, deciding that of all the people she could talk to about boy troubles, her sister was probably her best bet.

After all, no-one knew boys better than Lilly and besides it would give Veronica an easy in to ask her about the whole Weevil situation.

“Stupid in the fun way?” Lilly checked looking amused and even a little proud of her little sister who was sometimes a touch too straight-laced for her liking.

“No... well, yes but... I don’t know,” Veronica gabbled out as she sat beside her sister and decided it was going to be easier just to explain from the beginning. “I kissed Logan Echolls,” she said, wincing at her own words, or perhaps just at the crazy reaction she expected from Lilly.

“Oh my God!” the older girl gasped, going so far as to put her hand over her mouth with shock, before giggling madly. “Seriously, Veronica, it’s about time!” she told her as Veronica stared at her with a confused expression.

“What?” she checked as Lilly calmed her laughter.

“Oh come on, Veronica,” she said, rolling her eyes. “The guy is so in love with you, he practically melts into a puddle of goo whenever you walk over, and you’ve been so avoidy with him, it’s obvious you like him too!”

Veronica couldn’t believe what Lilly was saying to her, though parts of it were definitely true, she and Logan did like each other and she had been avoiding him whilst he’d been making googly eyes at her each and every time their paths crossed. She hadn’t really thought about the people around them interpreting their feelings so easily!

“Okay, so I’m not totally oblivious to his charms, but I can’t do this again, Lil.” She sighed. “You know I can’t.”

“Why the frickin hell not, V?” Lilly asked her dramatically. “And I swear if you say Troy I am going to scream this house right down!” she declared, shifting back on the bed and leaning back against the headboard, her legs out in front of her as she stared her sister down.

“What do you want me to say? He hurt me,” Veronica reminded her.

“Er, yeah,” Lilly agreed with a nod. “but in case you didn’t notice, V, Logan isn’t Troy. No two guys are the same, and you can’t blame one for the other screwing you over,” she told her younger sister who on most topics would be considered the smarter of the two and yet when it came to men there was little or nothing that Lilly Kane hadn’t learnt. “Its like that old fairytale.” She shrugged. “You know how the princess has to kiss the frog and then eventually she gets her prince?” she said, waving a hand in a vague gesture, before going back to picking at her peeling nail polish that she really must get around to fixing.

“I thought she kissed the frog and he turned into a prince?” Veronica frowned.

Lilly only sighed, looking bored and not at all bothered by the technicalities.

“Whatever,” she declared. “The point is, there are so many guys in the world, Veronica, and the first one you kiss isn’t necessarily going to be Mr Right. Hell, I’ve had a dozen guys and they’ve all been pretty good Mr Right Nows but no Prince Charming yet,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

“So, what you’re saying is, I should give Logan a chance to prove he’s Prince Charming, but be prepared for the fact that he might turn out to be another frog?” Veronica checked, looking uncertain.

“You got it, kid,” Lilly told her with a wink as she moved to get off the bed.

She moved towards the door but before her hand even reached the knob, Veronica called her back.

“Lilly, how long have you been seeing Eli Navarro?” she asked her sister who turned slowly to face her with a smirk on her lips.

“Long enough,” she answered cryptically. “How’d you know?” she asked curiously. “Or should I not ask? I mean, all that time you spent at the Sheriff’s station, you were turning into a fantabulous little investigator over the Summer.”

“I saw him coming out of your room last night,” Veronica admitted. “I don’t know, I guess I was a little surprised. He doesn’t seem like your usual type”

“He’s hot and he knows how to make a girl feel good.” Lilly shrugged. “What’s not to like?”

“Just another frog?” Veronica checked. “Or Prince Charming in black leather?” her sister asked with a similar smirk to Lilly’s own.

The strangest look passed over the older girls face then, something Veronica hadn’t been expecting since her question was at least ninety percent joke. It was as if Lilly had to give her answer serious thought and eventually when she spoke her tone was surprisingly genuine.

“I’ll get back to you on that.” She smiled as she finally left the room and her gaping-mouthed sister behind.


	14. Chapter 14

_So, I’m toying with the very real possibility of my dating Logan Echolls. He’s certainly all for the idea, that much is obvious from that kiss earlier and the fact he came out and told me he wants me. It’s not exactly a phrase that gets directed at me much, and I have to admit, kind of makes a girl feel good. As for the kissing, what can I say? Either Logan has had a lot of practise or that’s some natural talent God gave him. Probably it’s a combination of the two, which only serves to remind me of the sheer volume of girls the young Mr Echolls is rumoured to have dated in a very short space of time. I know it’s crazy to be thinking ahead to when and how I might be cheated on or dumped before I’ve even fully decided to date the guy, but that’s just my over-active brain for you. It can’t help but work out every possible outcome of the situation before going in, which isn’t a bad thing in a lot of ways I suppose, but as Lilly often tells me, it does have a way of sapping the fun out of a situation._

_So, following my sisters example I should dive head first into some kind of relationship with Logan, which honestly doesn’t sound like the worst plan ever. I really can’t seem to find a fault with him right now, sarcastic streak not withstanding, and maybe that’s what bothers me most. Troy didn’t have a flaw that I could find, and when it became apparent that he had more than one, I ended up hurt. Yeah, here I go again, comparing one with the other. It’s so entirely unfair and I know it, but I also can’t help myself._

_I know not all guys are the same. I use Duncan for an example, since I know for a fact he’s never treated a girl with anything but respect. He hasn’t exactly had a whole long line of gifrlriends, but those he has had were always the sweet and sensible type, very similar to his own personality. He’s definitely sticking to his usual type with Meg, and I’m happy for him, just the same as I’d be happy for Lilly if she could stick to one guy._

_It's still kind of freaky to know she’s seeing Weevil. The other 09er girls would have a field day with that information, since it’s clear the Madison Sinclairs of this world do not believe in the mixing of classes. Of course not all the girls I know are as bad as her, though varying degrees of distaste for the those without cash and status can be found amongst the 09er set._

_Lilly and Weevil would be the biggest coup since Romeo and Juliet, though hopefully without the cursing and the suicidal tendencies. The obvious theory would be that this is the only reason Lilly is even bothering with the head of the local biker crowd, and yet when I asked her about it there was this look on her face... it’s hard to explain, but if I didn’t know my sister as well as I do, I’d honestly think something serious was happening between her and Eli Navarro._

_Yeah, I know, a better use of my time would be figuring out my own love life, or lack of same, instead of trying to second guess those of my family and friends, but maybe everybody else’s issues are just a little simpler to figure out than my own._

* * *

Veronica had hoped that when she awoke this next morning she would be clearer on what she was going to do about her situation with Logan. Unfortunately that was not the case and she was as confused, as she entered the school building and headed to her locker, as she had been the night before writing about it all in her journal. So lost in her own thoughts, Veronica didn’t realise she was the topic of a conversation further down the hall. Logan stood leaning back against the wall, staring down at the girl whom yesterday he’d admitted openly to wanting before kissing her to prove his point. With him now was that girls twin brother, Duncan, and their friend, Dick, both of whom had just now noticed Logan’s staring.

“Dude, get over it!” the blond exclaimed, slapping him on the shoulder. “Ronnie isn’t gonna go for you.”

“Shut up, man,” his friend complained, shrugging away. “Like you know anything about girls.” He rolled his eyes. “You can’t even see what’s right in front of you.”

“I can see what’s right in front of you,” Dick retorted lamely. “And you are never gonna gate a piece of that.” He shook his head.

“Can we stop talking about my twin sister like she’s a piece of meat now, please?” Duncan practically begged. “I’m getting used to this kind of talk about Lilly, I’m not happy about it, but I am, but not Veronica,” he said firmly.

“Chill, D-man.” Logan smirked. “I promise when your sister finally caves and dates me, we won’t make out in front of you,” he joked as Duncan looked ready to hurl and was grateful for the bell so he could get away from the conversation that was making him increasingly uncomfortable.

“So, now her brother’s gone, what’s the real deal, man?” Dick asked Logan with a particularly filthy look on his face. “You gonna nail Ronnie or not?”

“You do know there is more to liking a girl than that, right, Dick?” his friend checked, though it was quite clear his words meant less than nothing to him.

Sure, he liked sex as much as the next guy, he was a teenage boy after all, it was just natural, but Logan didn’t want Veronica for that reason alone. He really liked her, in a far deeper way than just the physical. He knew it would sound lame to Dick and the other guys, but he was pretty sure he was falling head over heels in love with Miss Veronica Kane.

“So, what did you mean about not knowing what’s right in front of me?” Dick was asking when Logan zoned back into their conversation, pushing off the wall as the pair walked towards their class.

“Are you totally blind, man?” He rolled his eyes. “I’m talking about that Mac chick,” he explained, his tone making it clear he couldn’t believe that Dick was oblivious to this. “I’m talking about the fact she practically falls in a heap at your feet every time you walk by, and you don’t even see her.”

“I see her,” Dick said, shifting awkwardly as they headed on into the classroom and took two seats next to each other. “I just... well, she’s not one of us,” he said with a look, leaning sideways right over the desk and whispering like what he was saying was a state secret or something.

“One of us?” Logan raised an eyebrow and smirked at the words his friend had used. “What are you trying to tell me, Dick? That your wannabe girlfriend is actually the last daughter of Krypton?” he joked, as the blond shook his head seriously.

“Yeah, real funny, Logan.” His friend rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“I do.” He nodded. “But I honestly wish I didn’t. Since when are you so prejudice, man? If you like her, ask her out already!”

“Like you’d be so into Ronnie if you didn’t know she was loaded,” Dick scoffed, something that his friend took quite a bit of offence to.

“Hey, for your information...” he began, a little too loudly.

“Mr Casablancas, Mr Echolls!” the teacher snapped, catching their attention. “I trust your conversation is far more important than the class we are trying to start,” he said with a fake amiable smile. “Perhaps you’d like to share your pearls of wisdom with us all,” he offered, spreading his arms in an open gesture to face the whole class.

Without a thought Logan got up from his seat and faced his classmates.

“I was just giving my good buddy Dick here some dating advice,” he said, as his friend shot him a glare and started to turn red. “You see, he likes this girl-”

“Thank you, Mr Echolls!” the teacher said sternly, his invitation to speak obviously having been based in sarcasm.

For once Dick actually agreed with the sentiments of a faculty member and was wholly glad when Logan was forced to retake his seat. Mr Casablancas was rarely embarrassed and yet having the world know he liked Mac, that would be so awful! His social standing and reputation would be in jeopardy, so Dick thought, or at least he would’ve thought that if his brain could cope with words of more than one syllable.

“Geez, man.” Logan rolled his eyes at the teachers attitude as he dropped back into his seat. “Talk, don’t talk. Stand up, sit down.” He sighed, making some random gesture with his hand.

“Next thing y’know you’ll be doing the hokey pokey and turning yourself around.” Dick chuckled, the wrath at his friend from a moment ago all too quickly forgotten.

“That is enough!” the teacher repeated, going red in the face by now. “The two of you will see me in detention after school,” he said angrily before turning back to his class and continuing to teach.

Neither Logan or Dick were impressed.

* * *

“So, what conclusion did you come to?” Mac asked Veronica as they met and walked down the hall together, shortly after the final bell. “About Logan?” she added as if it weren’t obvious already to the blonde.

The two girls had spent their entire lunch break discussing Veronica’s quandary over whether or not her dating Logan would be a good idea. Eventually, Mac had resorted to the old Column A, Column B test. Together the two friends listed all the pros and cons for the possible relationship on some unnecessarily fancy spreadsheet that Mac ran up on her computer. It seemed pretty futile since no matter how many positives they found, Veronica would always find a negative to match, though Mac was not convinced that those bad points were equal in value to the good. When they were done, they were not so very much further forward than when they’d begun, but Veronica had told Mac by the time they met up at the end of school she would’ve made a decision and stuck to it. Now was the moment of truth.

“I decided,” Veronica said slowly as they stopped outside some random classroom. “That if I don’t go for this, it’ll be mostly because of Troy, and given that he wrecked enough of my life already, I’m not going to let him do that anymore.” She smiled, as Mac’s own face was almost split in two by a huge grin.

“That’s great, Veronica,” she said with so much enthusiasm, it made her friend laugh.

“As much as I’d like to think all your joy is for me.” She rolled her eyes. “Admit it, Mackenzie, you’re pretty glad I decided to give Logan a chance because his best friend just happens to be your crush, and this will give you so many more hanging out opportunities.”

“Am I so obvious?” Mac winced, hating that she couldn’t control herself when it came to Dick Casablancas.

They were perhaps one of the oddest pairings imaginable, and she ought to be mad about the fact he was blaming his massive intake of alcohol for even spending half an evening with her on the night of Shelley Pomroy’s party. Unfortunately for Mac, she couldn’t be mad, and she couldn’t find a way to switch off the feelings she had for the dumb blond that was Dick.

“Dude!” The sudden exclamation made both Mac and Veronica wonder if the thoughts in their heads had suddenly been personified, as they both spun around and caught sight of the man in question, Dick Casablancas, and the possible object of Veronica’s affections, Logan Echolls.

The two boys were clearly about to strike up a conversation when Mr Williams burst in telling them this was detention, not gossip club.

“As if you didn’t do enough talking in my class,” he said, putting his bag down on the desk, not even noticing the two girls hovering by the other door. “Now you will remain silent and still, and I will back in five minutes,” he said, giving the pair a stern look before stalking back out of the room via the door by which he came in.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Veronica said loud enough for the guys to hear as she entered the classroom, practically dragging Mac behind her. “And how exactly did you two fine upstanding gentleman land yourselves in detention with the most easily played teacher at Neptune?” she asked Logan who was both pleased by her entrance and amused question.

“What can I say, Miss Kane,” he told her, hand on heart. “I guess I’m just a very bad boy,” he said with a look many miles away from innocent.

“We talked in class is all,” Dick complained. “And now we’re stuck here for the next hour,” he said glumly, rocking his seat back and forth like a child.

“Well, Mr Williams is always fair with me,” Mac piped up. “Y’know maybe if you said you were sorry he’d let you go,” she suggested, though neither Dick nor Logan looked convinced.

“Hey, maybe we can go one better than that,” Veronica said with a grin. “Mr Williams loves me and-”

“What are you two girls doing in here?” the teacher in question asked as he arrived back in the classroom. “This is a detention, girls, not a pick up point.”

“Oh, but Mr Williams, please don’t say Logan and Dick are stuck here for an hour,” Veronica said all innocent and cute as she moved towards him. “See, they’re supposed to be driving me and Mac home, and our dads will go crazy if we’re late.”

“I’m sure you girls can get a ride with somebody else,” Mr Williams began but Mac shook her head and dared to interrupt, Veronica’s own confidence and the fact she knew she was helping Dick making her a little more brave.

“No, sir, we can’t,” she told him. “Almost everybody else is already gone, and I don’t know about Mr Kane, but my father wouldn’t want me getting a ride with just anybody.”

Logan and Dick looked at each other, trying to keep straight-faced as the girls worked their magic upon the teacher that was such a tyrant with them, and yet crumbled under the pressure of the twin pouts Veronica and Mac shot his way.

“Well, I suppose since the crime was minor, and I don’t wish to be responsible for you girls getting into any more trouble than is necessary.” Mr Williams sighed. “Mr Echolls, Mr Casablancas,” he snapped at the boys suddenly and they hopped to their feet. “You are on your last warning about talking during my class. Understood?” he said, pointing at the two of them with a stern shake of his finger.

“Yes, sir,” they chorused as they grabbed up their bags and were permitted to leave.

Veronica and Mac held in their laughter long enough to thank their teacher before hurrying out behind the guys and collapsing in fits of giggles.

“Oh my God,” Mac gasped. “What did we just do?” 

“We’re young, we’re having fun,” Veronica told her firmly. “I feel like it’s too long since I did something like that,” she admitted as they leaned against the lockers in the hall, still amused by their own antics.

“So, do you girls really need a ride home?” Logan asked with a smile. “Or was it all part of the evil plan to bust us out of there?”

“Veronica was gonna ride the bus with me but I guess we missed that by now,” Mac said as she looked around the empty halls.

“Well, I guess since you girls helped us out we could give you a ride home,” Dick said awkwardly as Mac continued to smile brightly at him. “Right, Logan?”

“Who said anything about home?” Veronica asked, eyes sparkling with fun. “If you guys want to thank us we need more than just a ride home. What do you say Mac?” she asked her friend who grinned back at her.

“I could definitely use something to eat,” she suggested as the guys shared a look.

Somehow they’d gone from a detention with Mr Williams to a double date with two hot chicks, and there was no way they were going to argue with that.


	15. Chapter 15

Speeding along in his yellow Xterra with the music blaring, neither Logan nor Dick was aware of the conversation going on in the back seat. Mac and Veronica were able to have a pretty private conversation back there without the guys having any idea it was all about them, and it really was.

“This is crazy,” Mac told her friend, feeling a little overwhelmed if truth be told.

She didn’t seem like the type to be overly impressed by 09er boys and their toys, including flashy cars and so forth, but she kind of was. She wasn’t shallow at all, and yet Dick Casbalancas, the very epitome of shallow, was the guy she longed to be with. Here she was now, with that very person sitting in the seat directly in front of her, her newest friend at her side as they headed off to who knows where for an afternoon of fun.

“Crazy could be just what we need,” Veronica argued. “I feel like I’ve been making my life more complicated than it needs to be lately, and I’m so bored with it.” She sighed. “And you need to show Dick what he’s missing, which may take some effort since he’s not exactly the brightest guy in the world,” she said, trying to make her point without being too insulting.

Almost as if he heard her, Dick glanced behind his seat at the girls, who only smiled sweetly, until he turned back to face the road, and continued singing along to the radio quite badly.

“I guess I better prepare for How The Other Half Live. Part Deux, huh?” Mac said with a smirk as she and Veronica shared a laugh.

As unaware as the guys were of the girls conversation, it worked the other way to. In between bouts of tapping along to the rhythm of the song on the radio and singing the words he could remember, Dick was having a conversation with Logan about today’s odd turn of events too.

“So, how does this work, man?” he asked Logan, checking the girls weren’t listening. “I mean, you and Ronnie are gonna be all over each other, that leaves me with the Computer Chick.”

“And that’s a problem why exactly, Dick?” his friend asked with an amused expression. “C’mon, man, its obvious she likes you and you like her. Just get over yourself or whatever.” He rolled his eyes, glancing at Dick and then back at the road. “She’s gotta be better company than your last girlfriend.”

“Hey, Madison was cool,” he protested, then off Logan’s look he added, “when she kept her mouth shut.”

“Exactly.” Logan nodded. “So you tried hot girl with no brain. How about now you go for semi-hot girl with a brain?” he suggested. “I mean, I admit, the chick has some kind of problem, because she likes you but...”

Logan’s joke was not taken kindly, and in fairness it wasn’t supposed to be. Dick lashed out with a playful punch that was kind of stupid since his friend was trying to drive, and cursed loudly when he was made to lose his concentration.

“Boys, can you please play nice up front there?” Veronica scolded as if she were their mother, but Logan could see her smirk in the rear-view and played her at her own game.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, saluting her via the mirror. “We’ll save the naughty behaviour for later,” he told her.

“Well, what you guys get up to in your own time is none of our business,” said Mac, getting in on the joke, and blushing profusely as Logan parked up the car and three sets of eyes turned to look at her in astonishment that she’d just said such a thing.

Logan and Veronica soon bust up laughing at the joke, whilst Dick made a big deal of denying the charges laid against him. He seemed completely freaked at the prospect of anyone thinking he and Logan were anything more than friends. He was the farthest from gay he could be, though he was quick to point out that he also had nothing against gay guys, he just wasn’t one of them.

“Y’know it’s possible to protest too much, right Dick?” Veronica teased as the four of them clambered out of the yellow Xterra and headed on into the diner.

“Oh you want me to prove I’m into babes, Ronnie, I’ll show you how I roll,” Dick told the blonde, with a look in his eyes that conveyed his meeting even more so than the words had.

“I’m sure Mac would be a more willing volunteer for that experiment,” Veronica said with a grin as Mac went a deeper shade of puce and hid behind a menu card just as soon as she slid into the booth.

Veronica sat on the opposite side of the table from her friend and Logan automatically moved in beside her, leaving Dick with no choice but to take a seat beside Mac. Silence reigned for a moment as the four took a look at the food on offer and wondered where they went from here. It had seemed like a good plan, the four of them coming here on this pseudo-date, and yet they really didn’t know what to say to each other. Mac and Dick were clearly from completely different social spheres and the awkwardness between Logan and Veronica following their not-talked-of kiss was tangible. It was a relief to all when a waitress appeared to take their order and by the time she walked away again with their requests jotted down on her notepad, the foursome found their voices, one by one.

“Maybe this wasn’t the best place to eat,” Veronica said, looking at Mac. “I forgot you were anti the eating of the dead animals,” she said awkwardly, but Mac shook her head.

“It’s fine, Veronica, don’t sweat it.” She smiled amiably.

“Oh, so you’re not like some weight-obsessed chick?” Dick frowned, assuming that was why Mac had ordered as she had. “Not like you need to be or whatever, 'cause y’know you’re hot, in a computer geek way but-”

“Dick,” Logan interrupted. “For the love of God please stop digging, before you get really stuck in that hole,” he said with an amused smirk as Veronica tried not to laugh.

“Oh look, ye olde fashioned jukebox,” Mac said suddenly leaping up from her seat and shooing Dick out of her way. “I’m gonna go, y’know, change tunes or whatever,” she said with a vague wave of her hand as she practically ran away.

Dick was left on his feet then, torn between staying at the table with Veronica and Logan, who would probably prefer him to leave so they could be alone, or go after Mac who he liked but was worried about being seen with in public.

As if he could read his mind, Logan made the decision for him with one simple command.

“Dick, go,” he said succinctly and with a nod of his head the blond did as he was told.

“He’s like a puppy,” Veronica observed as she watched him go. “Kinda cute, sometimes annoying, always most easily controlled with simple orders and chocolate treats.” She smirked at her own joke as Logan did the same, turning sideways in the booth to better face her.

“So I guess this is my opening to ask that you please explain, Miss Kane,” he said with a look that Veronica wasn’t quite ready to face.

“Explain what exactly?” she checked with a shake of her head, though she was fairly certain where the conversation was headed and she would have preferred not to have it now with her trapped between the wall and Logan’s body too close to her own.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, sounding anything but. “I must be mixing you up with this other girl who - and let me make sure I have this straight - yeah, treated me like a jerk, made out with me under the influence,” he counted off on his fingers, “pretended I didn’t exist, then kissed me again-”

“No, no, no,” she cut him off quickly with a violent shake of her head. “You kissed me that time,” she insisted, and even Logan knew that was true, though it wasn’t really the point.

“And of course you didn’t kiss me back or anything,” he shot back at her, making Miss Kane squirm.

Surely this was what she was here for. Hadn’t she decided she wanted to give things a try with Logan, and yet here she was making things difficult for him. She knew as well as he did that the kiss they’d shared was by no means one-sided. Something was between them, it was just a scary thought that she might be about to let herself act upon it and risk getting hurt like the last time.

“Maybe I should go back to treating you like a jerk if you’re going to be this way,” she said without snapping as much as she’d meant to.

The way he was looking at her was unnerving in the most delicious way, making Veronica want to kiss him and run away from him in equal measure. She didn’t mean what she was saying right now and they were both patently aware of that too.

“Or maybe you should just give it up, Veronica,” Logan told her, snapping her from her mini-daze of confusing thoughts. “Come on, we like each other, we’re both young, available, beautiful people,” he told her with a smile that only made it more difficult to remember why she wasn’t all over him already.

“That is at least true,” she was forced to agree with a grin of her own, as she glanced across the diner at where Mac and Dick were stood either end of the jukebox apparently getting along now, if not still a little awkward with each other.

“So, exactly what do you have to lose?” Logan wanted to know, demanding the blonde’s attention once again.

Their eyes met in that moment and Veronica couldn’t remember the last time she felt so overwhelmed. Logan was right, she hated to admit it but he was. There were no reasons left for them not to be together. Neither of them were tied to anyone else, since her last boyfriend was long gone and the only real attempt made on his affections was by her own sister, and Lilly had backed off a while ago. 

“Not much,” she admitted at last, in answer to his question, “because the one thing I was trying to save, I think I’m already losing and fast,” she said, more softly than she meant to as she swallowed hard, wondering where her own voice, her strong and confident voice, had disappeared to.

“And what’s that?” he asked her curiously, wondering if he was asking because he wanted to know or just because he wanted to conversation part of this done so he could get back to kissing her.

“My heart,” she said, realising a soon as the words fell from her lips just how lame they sounded. Closing her eyes Veronica winced as if the words had physically hurt as they escaped her throat. “Oh my God,” she said, clearly embarrassed and entirely ashamed. “Did I really just say that?” she asked rhetorically. “Pass the corn...” she said, twisting herself back around to face forward again and away from Logan, in front of whom she had just completely made a fool of herself, or so she believed.

“Veronica,” he said her name, his hand reaching out to her face and turning her head so she was facing him again.

Far from laughing at her, he looked at her in complete seriousness, then without a word leaned in to place his lips on hers. This time Veronica was a little more prepared for such an action and responded appropriately without concern for what she was doing. This felt good, more than that, it felt right, and she couldn’t care enough to fight against it anymore.


	16. Chapter 16

“Dude!” Dick exclaimed as he glanced across the diner and saw his friends in a lip-lock. “Thank God they finally got to the macking part, I thought we were all gonna die of old age!” he declared as Mac followed his line of sight and smiled when she saw what he meant.

“Aaw, they make such a cute couple,” she declared in an odd moment of girliness before catching herself and glancing away just at the same moment Dick did.

Their eyes caught for a moment and just for a second Mac thought maybe he was going to follow his friends lead. Of course it was a ridiculous idea and just as she’d had time to process such a thought the moment was gone, replaced by another awkward one as they both turned back to the jukebox. Though it appeared like an old fifties style machine, it was essentially a computer and held a lot of up-to-date music.

“So, er, what are you into?” Dick asked as the pair of them scanned the options.

“All kinds of stuff.” She shrugged. “The Dandy Warhols, The Faders, Jet...”

“Really?” he looked a little surprised at her choices, but nonetheless impressed.

They both poured over the playlist and eventually found something they both liked, pointing to it and reading the name aloud at exactly the same moment. After that embarrassing and yet amusing moment, Mac selected the track, Dick pushed some money into the slot on the machine, and the song began to play.

“So,” she said, looking expectantly at the blond before her, as a few couples started to get up and dance in the empty space around them.

Dick looked oblivious at first as he glanced around him pushed his hair out of his face. Of course he knew what Mac was waiting for, she wanted to dance and she wanted him to ask her. What’s more, Dick really wanted to ask her, and just this one time he wasn’t going to care what anybody thought about him. Putting his reputation on the line, mostly because of a little voice inside him that said Mac was worth it, he barely realised what he was doing when suddenly he had her hand in his and was leading her further into what passed for a dancefloor.

Mac ducked her face behind her hair when forced to face the man of her dreams like this. It was insane, she was supposed to be too intelligent, too sensible, too much of a nerd to feel like this - butterflies in her stomach, electric pulses at her fingers where they touched his, blushing all over just because he was looking a her. It was all so stupid how a guy like Dick Casablancas could make her feel this way, but as crazy as it seemed, it was all true.

Unfortunately, Mac and Dick were so caught up with each other, they didn’t notice a bunch of guys entering the diner, hell-bent on ruining everybody’s fun. A crash and a bang signalled that they were trying to cause trouble, and a jump in the music that was playing brought everyone’s attention to the fact they were beating on the jukebox, presumably hoping to get a little cash out of it.

Mac looked obviously pained, mostly because she’d missed another chance to get close to the man she so wanted to want her back. Dick only knew she was hurt, and that didn’t sit well with him at all. Without a thought in his head, which honestly wasn’t so odd for Dick, he was suddenly striding towards the jukebox with Mac hurrying after him, a little worried about what the hell was going to happen next.

“Hey, man, why don’t you leave the tunes alone, huh?” Dick suggested, facing up to Weevil.

Despite the fact he was shorter than his adversary, the biker looked amused by the fact the pretty boy would dare to take him on. He didn’t really want any trouble, as strange as it might seem, but he wasn’t about to get dissed by Surfer Ken.

“Why don’t you get out of my face, Blondie?” he retorted with a smirk as Mac shifted nervously beside her almost-date.

“Dick, it doesn’t matter,” she assured him. “Let them change the music, it really doesn’t matter,” she said sensibly, knowing she was pissed about the interruption too, but also knowing she didn’t want a fight to break out here, especially not on her account.

“It so matters,” Dick said firmly, though his eyes weren’t on Mac, they never left Weevil’s gaze as the two stared each other down.

“You should listen to your woman, y’know?” the Mexican told him firmly, his boys falling in behind him and making the situation all the more threatening. “She talks more sense than you.”

“She too fine for you, man,” Felix threw in, leaning on Weevil’s shoulder as he glanced at Dick then leered across at Mac. “What you doin’ with this loser, chica?”

“As oppose to, say, you?” she said, hating that in all this she was being treated like some sort of sex object instead of a person, it really made her mad.

“Hey, if you askin’, baby, I ain’t gonna say no,” he told her, looking like he was about to make a move.

Before anybody had a chance to say anything or even notice what was happening, Dick’s fist shot out and caught Felix across the face, knocking him back into two of his friends. The whole gang seemed ready to pounce then and hearing the commotion, a couple who had been quite distracted by each other, leapt into action. Veronica let out a piercing whistle distracting the bikers, who all turned to look as she and Logan strode over from their booth.

“Oh look, it’s the 09er back-up squad,” Weevil snarked. “Now I’m just shaking in my boots,” he said, hands raised in mock-surrender.

Mac grabbed Dick by the arm and pulled him back as he looked ready to fight some more, despite the fact he was shaking his hand in obvious pain from the first punch he’d landed on Felix. The injured party himself was equally ready to rumble, but Weevil had the guys hold him off for now.

“Shouldn’t you two be watchin’ a sunset somewhere, discovering second base,” Weevil suggested to Logan and Veronica, both of which looked unimpressed by the comment.

“Shouldn’t you be somewhere dark, making out with my sister like you usually do?!” the little blonde challenged as a ripple of confusion passed through the leather-clad gang behind him.

Veronica got the reaction she wanted as Weevil’s cocky expression twisted into discomfort. His relationship with Lilly, whatever form it took, was clearly secret, and whilst Veronica may not have done her sister any favours by revealing it so publicly, she wasn’t about to see her friends getting dissed. Dick might be a fool, but he was Mac’s fool, and a decent friend most of the time.

“You wanna watch your mouth, little girl,” Weevil said threateningly, getting a little too much in Veronica’s face. “I promise you, it will land you in trouble one day.”

“Back off, man,” Logan told him bravely, and although Veronica knew she could handle this just fine herself she appreciated his concern.

“Ooh, see, don’t make promises like that in front of my boyfriend, he’ll just get jealous,” she said in a forced Valley-girl tone, looking every inch the naughty school girl.

“What’s going on here?” said an authorititive voice suddenly, and all eyes were immediately on the Sheriff who stood by the entrance. “Anybody want to tell me?” Keith Mars checked again when there was no response.

“Just talking, man, no big deal.” Weevil shrugged his shoulders and smiled sweetly, shooting his enemies a nasty glare as he passed by them and headed for the door, his boys following behind.

“Well, why don’t you try just walking, man,” Sherrif Mars suggested as he moved to the side of the door and ushered the PCHers out, closing the door of the diner firmly behind them.

“Thank you, Sheriff,” Veronica said gratefully when the bikers were gone and he came over to see the four left behind were okay.

“Not a problem.” He smiled warmly at the little blonde. “The rest of you okay?” he checked.

“Yes, sir.” Mac nodded once. “Thank you.”

Keith told her it was fine and moved away, collecting a cup of coffee to go from the counter and leaving just as quickly as he had arrived. The four friends’ attention was then brought back onto each other.

“Dude, did you see me take that guy out?” Dick asked Logan with a grin as he continued to shake his hand that stung terribly.

“Unfortunately, I was, er, being pleasantly distracted from your heroics there, man,” Logan said with a smile at Veronica that only almost caused her to blush. “Looks like you did as much damage to your hand as that guys nose,” he noted then, wincing a little at the bruises already forming and the gash across his knuckles.

“We should get that cleaned up,” Mac said hurriedly, practically dragging Dick away by his arm.

He went quite happily it seemed and Logan let out a laugh at that.

“Honestly, Dick is a great friend and all, but he’s such an ass!” he declared as the blond was pulled from his sight by a very determined Mac. “Why can’t he just admit he likes the girl and make a move already?”

“With some people it takes time, and for all different reasons,” Veronica pointed out what he ought to already know after their own issues with getting it together.

Her arms went up around his neck and she encouraged him to dance with her since they were already right there in the middle of the floor with music playing. Logan seemed not to mind as his hands rested at her waist and they moved together to the rhythm of the song from the jukebox.

“So, what you said about your sister and Weevil?” he asked after a moment. “Is that true?”

“Suprisingly, yes.” Veronica nodded then sighed. “Although, I maybe shouldn’t have yelled it out in the middle of a public place. Lilly will go crazy,” she winced at the reaction her little outburst might get from her sister.

“She doesn’t seem like the type to mind too much if the world knows her business,” Logan said carefully, ever mindful of offending his latest girlfriend via her sister, after all, it had taken long enough for them to get this far, he could use not screwing it up so soon!

“Lilly isn’t always what she seems,” Veronica told him seriously, though apparently she wasn’t mad about his comment so that was good. “That’s the thing about us Kanes, y’know?” she smirked then. “We never do exactly what you expect.”

“I had noticed.” Logan smirked right back at her, thinking of Veronica’s shifting mood towards him over the past few weeks he’d known her.

She certainly wasn’t easily second-guessed, but then Logan knew that was just one of things he love most about her. Too many girls he knew were too predictable. They followed the crowd, they did what everybody else did, and they all fell at his feet without a thought in their pretty little air-filled heads. Veronica Kane was like no other girl he ever met, and he loved her for it.

“Wow, that’s a pretty serious look on your face,” the girl in question noted as she gazed up at Logan. “Do you really have to concentrate so hard just to not tread on my toes?” she teased.

“I could dance you out of this world, Miss Veronica Kane,” he retorted, almost doing just that as he lifted her feet off the floor with ease and spun her around and around until she was dizzy and laughing loudly.

“Logan, please, put me down,” she urged him eventually, when she started to feel quite giddy. “You’re crazy, y’know that?” she told him, glad his arms held her steady as he set her back on the ground and the world continued to spin around her.

“Crazy about you,” he said softly, claiming her lips once again.

Sure, it was corny, but sometimes that was okay.

* * *

So it bothers me a little that Lilly isn’t home yet. She could easily be with Weevil and that could lead to eminent badness. If he tells her what I blurted out at the diner, in my own special non-quiet way, she could get really mad about it. Worse than that, her biker guy could be just as mad at her for sharing their secret with me, however inadvertently. It’s entirely possible that, for the first time in her life, Lilly will be the dumpee instead of the dumper. It doesn’t bear thinking about, and as awful as it might sound, I’m having a hard time focusing on my guilt right now anyway.

Yes, it’s true. This grin you see on my face that won’t shift at all, that’s what Logan Echolls did for me today. Oh, the boy can kiss, but that’s only the half of it. I honestly didn’t know I could feel this way about a guy, not since the whole disaster that was my first boyfriend.

I guess all I had to do was give Logan a chance to be a good guy, and so far he really is. I’m not so naive that I think he’s a saint, but I have to have some trust in him. He’s never given me a reason to doubt him up to now, and I gave him the perfect opportunity to take advantage of me at Shelly Pomroy’s party. If he was only in this for what he could get out of me, y’know like in a bedroom way, he could have fulfilled all his little fantasies that night. The fact is, he didn’t. He was a gentleman, and a friend, and a really good guy. So long as he keeps on proving to me how wonderful he is, I’ll believe it, and I’ll stick at this relationship in the hopes that it might just work out.

On the subject of relationships, I should also mention my good friend Mac and her crush, the undeniably hot and yet undeniably stupid, Dick Casablancas. I think his punching out of the head PCHer in honour of our resident computer geek goes some way to proving just how much he really likes her. Me and Dick have been friends a while now, he’s fought my corner once or twice, but he never laid a guy out for me. Hell, I’m not sure he even did that for Madison, but let’s face it, she so wore the pants in that relationship.

Mac’s not a pushover, but the look on her face when Dick was being all manly just for her was pure grateful damsel. I think she fell head over heels all over again in that moment, and I honestly can’t blame her. Here’s hoping that this evening won’t later turn out to be another fluke. Maybe this time Dick can keep a hold of that ‘being a man’ thing, and actually treat Mac decently in front of others, like the rest of the 09ers at school tomorrow.

Well, its getting late, and it doesn’t look like Lilly will be home any time soon. I guess talking to her will have to wait until tomorrow. Maybe if she is mad at me tonight, she’ll have calmed down some my the morning. Here’s hoping.


	17. Chapter 17

As the Kane family sat around the table eating breakfast, it all seemed far too quiet and calm. It was just a matter of time before something went wrong, before someone said something that offended someone else, and started an argument fit to be named World War Three. On the outside looking in, the photographers, reporters, and ordinary folk of Neptune saw the Kanes as the perfect family, but that was just an act. Behind closed doors, things could get more than a little rocky, and mostly that was down to...

“Lilly,” snapped Celeste, turning her attention to her eldest child. “I didn’t hear you come home last night.”

“Well, I guess that’s because you were asleep, Mom,” the blonde answered smartly as she continued to enjoy her pancakes.

“Sweetheart, I think what your mother is trying to say is that you probably shouldn’t be out so late on a school night,” Jake said gently, hoping to avoid an escalation into war.

Of course that was pointless when it came to his wife and daughter, one with a temper as fierce as her red hair, the other a master at playing Mommy Dearest at her own game. 

“What I’m saying, Jake, is that she will NOT be out so late on a school night anymore,” Celeste exploded angrily at both her daughter and husband at this point as Duncan and Veronica sunk down in their seats, hoping to avoid getting caught up in another fight.

“Like you could stop me.” Lilly shook her head. “Face it, Mom, you’re just jealous that I still have the body and the stamina that left you years ago.”

“Lilly, please don’t,” Duncan said quietly, knowing he should stay out of it, but hating to hear his family members that he loved so much fighting like this.

“What does it have to do with you, Donut?” she snapped. “You never even get in trouble. Do Mom and Dad even know you have a girlfriend?” she checked.

“That is irrelevant,” Celeste told her, though she was intrigued and a little stunned by the revelation that her baby boy was dating without ever having mentioned it.

“Its always irrelevant when it’s not about me, isn’t it?” Lilly yelled, slamming her fork on the table. “As much as I love being centre of your world, Mom, would you for once please pay some attention to your other two kids, and let me breathe for a minute?” she said, somewhat angrily.

Celeste had a million and one things she could say, and yet each and every one would have a consequence she’d rather not deal with. Getting up from the table, she simply walked away, leaving Jake alone with the kids.

“So,” he said after a few moments of silence, “who’s the lucky lady in your life, Duncan?” he asked his son with a smile.

“Meg Manning,” he admitted shyly as Veronica stifled a laugh at her twins discomfort, something Duncan then decided to pay her back for, a smirk appearing on his lips as he added. “And Veronica is dating Logan Echolls,” he said sweetly, as the little blonde began to choke on her last mouthful of pancakes.

“Really?” Jake smiled at that, liking the idea that at least the twins seemed to be able to stick to one partner, and that both had chosen kids from what he considered to be decent families.

He would have asked more, much to the kids embarrassment, if the butler hadn’t suddenly appeared to tell him he had an important business call. Wishing the kids a good day at school, but warning Lilly they would be having a serious talk later, Jake left his daughters and son to finish off their breakfast in peace.

“So, last night,” Veronica asked, just as soon as her dad was out of earshot. “Were you with Weevil?” she checked, as Duncan’s eyes went comically wide.

“Weevil, as in Eli Navarro, head of the biker gang?” he checked, looking astonished, and not in a good way.

“Keep up, little brother.” Lilly rolled her eyes. “Whilst you’re discovering second base with Miss Priss, some of us are actually having a grown-up good time with a real man,” she said, practically looking down her nose at him.

A little hurt and angry at her thoughtless comments, Duncan pushed his chair away from the table and left the room in silence.

“That was harsh, Lil,” Veronica told her sister, who only rolled her eyes once again.

“He’ll get over it,” she said, waving away any concerns. “Hell, I got over it when you told the whole world my dirty little secret... well, maybe dirty BIG secret,” she said with a wink as she got up from the table.

“Eew, Lilly!” Veronica exclaimed at the very idea. “So you’re not mad?” she checked as she to got to her feet and they walked through the house together. “Because I am so sorry, Lilly, I just blurted it out and-”

“Hey, don’t sweat it, V,” her sister urged her. “If there’s going to be a clique-breaching scandal at Neptune High, who better to have the starring role in the story?” she winked, spinning around the bottom of the banister rail and heading off up the stairs to get ready for school.

Veronica couldn’t argue with her sisters assessment of the situation and was only too glad that they didn’t have to fight over the whole Weevil thing.

“Lilly!” she called behind the girl who’d just now made it out of sight, but leant over the rail at the top to see Veronica below. “Did you stop trying with Logan because of Weevil?” she checked.

“Kind of.” Her older sister shrugged. “Mostly because it was obvious you two were, like, meant to be or whatever,” she admitted, and Veronica smiled at that as her sister finally disappeared from her sight.

For all that Lilly was, she was a good older sister to have, both to Veronica and to Duncan. Sure, she was a little thoughtless sometimes, like what she’d said to Duncan at the breakfast table, but she didn’t mean any real harm. She just spoke her mind, much like Veronica herself often did, and that couldn’t really be a bad quality when all was said and done.

Veronica was startled from her little thoughtful daze by her cell ringing from her bag that she’d abandoned there in the hallway last night. Pulling the phone out, she smiled as she read the display and took the call.

“Wow, I must be really special if you need to call me this early,” Veronica greeted her boyfriend with her own sarcastic wit that did battle with his own so easily.

“And good morning to you too, Miss Kane,” he replied with a chuckle. “You really doubt how special you are to me?” he checked as Veronica sat down on the bottom step of the staircase, feeling entirely stereotypical as she twirled her blonde hair around her finger and chatted to her boyfriend.

“Well, I wouldn’t if you told me just how wonderful you think I am,” she joked, though Logan seemed to take her seriously as he started to answer.

Unfortunately he’d barely got two words out before Veronica had to regretfully ask him to wait a second. There was a knock at the door and since she was sitting right near it, she may as well answer it. She got the nicest of surprises when she revealed Logan himself standing on her doorstep with his own cell to his ear.

“Well,” he started over. “You are the most gorgeous, incredible, fascinating, perfect young woman I ever met in my entire life,” he told her, almost making the usually unflappable Veronica blush as he shut off his phone and moved to put his arms around her waist. “And I want the whole world to know that you are my girlfriend,” he finished, covering her lips with his in a sweet kiss before she had a chance to give any kind of response.

When they parted she smiled up at him, and then spoke.

“I could get used to that kind of greeting every morning,” she declared, meaning every word as truthfully as she’d ever meant anything in her life.

* * *

“Okay, so for a girl that got to play damsel to Dick Casablancas’ knight in shining armour act, you don’t look so giddy.” Veronica said with a frown as she sat down beside her friend. “Something wrong?”

“Kind of, yeah.” Mac shrugged. “I don’t know, its like sometimes he really likes me, and we get along great, like at the diner last night and then in school...”

“Did he blank you again?” the blonde checked, looking ready to bust heads over the whole situation, but her friend firmly shook her head.

“No, I mean, not really,” she said with as sigh. “He talks to me, but it’s almost like he wishes he didn’t have to. I don’t know, maybe I’m just being paranoid, or I’m reading too much into last night’s punching a biker thing,” she said sadly.

“Or maybe Dick is just being... well, lets just say he isn’t called Dick for nothing,” Veronica explained with appropriate eye roll. “The guy needs to grow a spine already.”

“I really hope you’re not talking about me,” said a voice behind them and both girls turned to see Logan just as he arrived at the table, moving to straddle the bench beside his girlfriend.

“No, just your good buddy Dick,” Mac told him. “And his complete lack of interest in me.”

“Is he still screwing around?” Logan, getting his hand playfully smacked by Veronica as he stole fries from her plate. “The guy needs a serious talking to, wouldn’t you say, Miss Kane?” he said, eyebrow raised as he looked down on his girlfriend.

“No way,” she said, understanding his meaning all too well. “I have done my quota of meddling in this relationship, somebody else can take a turn,” she said definitely.

“Really, guys,” Mac said quickly. “It’s no big,” she said, though her looks didn’t match her flippant tone. “Obviously Dick just doesn’t feel that way about me,” she said, muttering something about having to be somewhere and practically running away.

“Poor Mac.” Veronica sighed as she watched her friends retreating form disappear into the school building. “I’d love to knock some sense in to Dick’s head, but honestly, I’m running out of ideas, and I did mean what I said about the meddling... Has he said anything to you about her?” she checked with her boyfriend who nodded his head.

“He likes her, it’s just she’s not, and I quote ‘one of us’,” he said making appropriate speech marks with his fingers.

“You mean not an 09er?” the blonde checked.

Off Logan’s positive response, Veronica spiked her food rather violently with her fork, clearly unimpressed by her so-called friends attitude.

“Hey, maybe your sister and that Weevil dude will make Dick feel better about Mac,” Logan suggested, hoping to make his girl feel better; he liked her much better when she smiled.

“Maybe,” she said thoughtfully, though she still didn’t look overly impressed.

“Hey, I had an idea,” Logan said then, hoping to take her mind off these things that were bothering her with his own happy thoughts. “I was thinking we should have a party, at my house.” He grinned. “My parents are going out of town, kind of a combo thing to visit my sister Trina at her new place and attend some awards ceremony, blah, blah, blah,” he waved a hand in disinterest at the description. “So I thought, we party like its 2005 or whatever,” he suggested.

“Logan, you’re the best boyfriend ever,” Veronica said suddenly with sparkling eyes and a smile to match as she kissed him firmly on the lips.

“Not gonna argue with that.” He smirked when they finally parted. "But why particularly right now?” he asked as he watched his girlfriend scramble to her feet, meaning to following but finding she’d taken his breath away a little bit, along with his train of thought.

“What better place to help Dick and Mac get together then a party?” she said, as if it were obvious, bouncing happily around in a way that was disturbingly like her sister for a moment there.

Still, she was smiling, and Logan couldn’t ask for more than that. The fact he’d caused her happiness only increased his own joy. Today was a good day, and it just kept on getting better.


	18. Chapter 18

_Today has been the weirdest day. For the first time in a long while I have a boyfriend and faced Neptune High this fine morning, hand in hand with movie stars’ son, Logan Echolls. There were some whispers, some pointing, and general comments made by my fellow 09ers, but my own blossoming relationship meant little to anyone compared to my sister’s latest adventure in dating._

_Lilly and Weevil, its the biggest scandal at Neptune since... well, I honestly can’t remember a bigger deal! It shouldn’t matter that the two of them want to date, but unfortunately the class divide in this town is wider than the Grand Canyon. There is no middle class here, you’re an 09er or you work for them. That’s not to say all the rich kids consider themselves above those less privileged, I don’t think that way, and clearly I’m not the only one, since Logan and Duncan are both totally happy to be seen with me when I want to hang with Mac, and Lilly is proving that the Kane family is entirely working-class-friendly._

_I swear my sister doesn’t know the meaning of the word embarrassed, well, not unless she’s causing the problem for someone else. She never blushes, she never flinches, she just eats up attention whether good or bad, and today was no exception. You should have seen her, walking out onto the quad at lunch, hanging all over her new man. Even the bad-ass head of the biker gang himself looked a little awkward, something I never thought I’d see._

_For a while, there was silence, a rare sound in an area so jam-packed full of High Schoolers, then suddenly a voice spoke out. Even I was a little stunned to realise I was the one yelling for Lilly to come on over and sit with us. There was an audible gasp as I extended my greeting to my sister’s boyfriend and suddenly there we were, centre of attention, myself and Logan, Lilly and Weevil, sat around our bright red table, trying to make small-talk. It wasn’t an easy task, but by the time the bell rang we actually had a pretty decent conversation going._

_Lilly surprised me when she grabbed me, pulling me into a hug before walking away. We’re sisters, of course we love each other, and hugs do occur, but this was different. I’ve never seen Lil look so... I don’t know, grateful? For all her bravado, I think she panicked a little when silence reigned and nobody made moves to welcome her latest man into the fold. It seems the Kane family must lead the way in breaking down the walls between the classes, and our job isn’t done yet._

_Logan is throwing the party to end all parties this Saturday and this will be our last attempt at knocking some sense into Dick. I feel so bad for Mac being messed around by our Mr Casablancas. Like Logan told me before, maybe he’ll be less worried about the class issue now Lilly and Weevil have been ‘outed’ but somehow I’m not convinced._

_Okay, that’s another piece of weird to add to my weird day. I swear I just heard the front door, but I know for a fact Lilly stayed in tonight, an amazing idea but it’s true. Mom and Dad weren’t going out so that only leaves one other person..._

_Wow, seems I was right! A sneaky glance from my door proved it was Duncan that just got in. Since it’s well past midnight, I have to say I’m a little surprised. My twin brother really isn’t the type to stay out so late, and I can’t imagine Meg is either. It makes me wonder if something is wrong..._

Veronica hit save on her computer and put her laptop to one side, before sliding off her bed and creeping out of her bedroom. Hurrying across the hall in silence she tapped quietly on the door to her brother’s room, and jumped a little when he opened it so fast.

“Veronica,” Duncan whispered. “Are you okay?”

“That’s kind of what I wanted to ask you,” she said with a slight frown. “Not to sound like Mom but you were kinda late getting home and that’s usually Lilly’s raison d’être, not yours.”

“God, Veronica.” Her brother rolled his eyes, looking a little peeved. “I had no idea that I had to check in with you every night,” he said snippily. “Just because we’re twins doesn’t mean you have to know everything about my life,” he told her, practically closing the door in her face all of a sudden, and leaving a confused Veronica standing alone in the hall. After a moment she knocked lightly once again, calling for her brother’s attention, but this time she received no response. She wasn’t hugely surprised since he’d made it clear he didn’t want to talk and didn’t appreciate what he saw as her sticking he nose in his business.

With a shake of her head and a sigh, Veronica went back to her own room and sat down on her bed with a thud.

_So, Duncan is being officially weird. Sneaking around really isn’t his thing, and when I called him on it he just clammed up on me. I guess I can’t blame him. I haven’t exactly been Little Miss Share lately. It bothers me sometimes that we seem to be growing apart. I just hope that if anything is really wrong that Duncan will talk to me if he needs help or anything. Not that I think I’m the best person to deal with whatever problematic situation he’s found himself in but I am his sister, his twin sister, and I do care a lot about him. My family might not be the most stable, we may not get along well all the time, and I’ll admit I don’t exactly feel like I fit most of the time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love each and every one of them with all my heart._

* * *

“So, I figure we invite all the usual gang, your friend Mac, obviously,” Logan continued on with his party plans as he drove his girlfriend to school the next morning.

Unfortunately Veronica’s gaze was stuck straight out the side window of the car, and her mind was still on last night and what had happened with her brother.

“Mm-hm,” was the best response her boyfriend could get out of her, at least at first.

“So, obviously we’ll need plenty of food, drink, but no clothes because that’ll just make the orgy more complicated.” He smirked, wondering if anything was ever going to get Veronica’s attention.

“Yeah.” She sighed, then suddenly turned to look at him with wide eyes just as they pulled into the school parking lot. “What?” she squeaked as Logan bust up laughing at her reaction.

“Finally, my blonde beauty has returned from never never land,” he joked, leaning over to kiss her lips, and then turning serious as he looked at her. “You really do have something serious on your mind, don’t you?”

“It’s just...” she began, suddenly spotting her brother across the lot. “Huh, apparently it’s nothing,” she said vaguely as she watched Duncan and Meg meet up.

They both looked so happy if not a little awkward at first. Veronica figured they’d probably had some silly fight or something, causing Duncan’s bad mood last night and this morning. She smiled when she saw how much better he seemed now. She’d clearly worried about nothing.

Logan followed his girlfriend’s line of sight, glad to note she was now smiling again. Her worry must’ve been for Duncan, and said worry was now gone. That only left Mac and Dick to sort out, then Logan hoped Veronica would be truly happy with everything in her life - it was all he wanted.

“I’m sorry, Logan,” she said then, catching his attention. “You were saying something about your party?” she checked as they got out of the car, joined hands, and began walking towards the building.

“Just that...” he began, only to be interrupted once again, this time by Mac’s appearance. “Nevermind.”

“I’m sorry, I’m interrupting something,” the brunette said quickly, turning to walk away, looking decidedly down-trodden.

Veronica felt just awful for her friend who usually always found a way to be upbeat and positive. It seemed that Dick’s liking her but keeping his distance was hurting far more than his just ignoring her. Her friend suspected it was much easier to live without something you never had than to be given a taste and have the prize torn away again. Not that Veronica really understood how Dick was any kind of reward for time well spent, but she did know that if Logan suddenly changed his mind about her she’d be more than a little down about it. She never knew she could feel this way about a guy again, but now was not the time to be dwelling on her own happiness, not when her friend was in distress. Logan seemed to know it too and Veronica couldn’t help but think he was even more perfect than she previously realised as he sighed and spoke.

“Hey, I don’t mind lending you my girlfriend if you need her for a while,” he told Mac kindly. “I meant to talk to Casey about some Chem homework anyway,” he said with a smile, planting a quick kiss on Veronica’s cheek and releasing her hand at the last moment as he walked away backwards, promising to catch up with her later.

“He’s sweet.” Mac forced a smile as she complimented her friend on her taste in men, but Veronica knew it only hurt Mac more to see others happy and in love.

“And Dick’s an ass,” she said as she hooked her arm with Mac’s and they walked up the steps into the school building.

“I know,” the brunette sighed. “And please believe me when I tell you I also know I should be smart enough to realise he is not worth all this, but I can’t help it!” she exclaimed in obvious frustration. “It’s like, y’know when you’re eating ice-cream, and you know you should stop because one more scoop is gonna make you hurl, but it just tastes so good you can’t put it down?”

“Been there,” Veronica nodded once, recalling more than one occasion.

“Well,” Mac said, “lets just say Dick Casablancas is my...”

“Chunky Monkey?” Veronica suggested with a smirk, and though Mac tried to resist the lure of laughing at that particular joke she had trouble refraining.

“I don’t like bananas,” she said, trying to sound huffy but coming off amused and silly instead.

Veronica was only glad she’d gotten a positive reaction out of the previously sullen Mac. She hated to see her so down. She was a good friend, and a smart and attractive young woman. Dick just needed to get his head out of his butt and date her already! Once Saturday night was over, with a little luck, it would all be figured out. In the meantime, Veronica had a more subtle plan.

“Did you try playing him at his own game?” she suggested as the girls headed to their lockers. “I mean, he goes from practically all over you to acting like he doesn’t remember your name. Two can play that game.”

“I don’t know, Veronica.” Mac shook her head. “I’m not good at that kind of thing-”

“Hey, Ronnie!” a voice suddenly boomed down the hall as Dick appeared and hurried over to the pair.

Veronica watched Mac physically flinch at the sight of the man of her dreams and gave her a look that said ‘go with the plan’. Though she didn’t get a chance to respond, the blonde hoped her friend would listen. Just about the last idea she had for getting Dick to pay Mac any proper attention was for her to feign disinterest, after all, it certainly seemed to make Logan more eager to get Veronica herself when she tried to keep him at arms length.

“What’s up, Dick?” she asked as he arrived beside them, apparently having wanted to get her attention and yet almost looking through her at Mac.

“Er, hey,” he said to the both of them.

Mac fought the urge to reply and fall all over him, instead tearing her eyes away and telling Veronica she would see her later before stalking off down the hall. Her friend watched her go, a proud smile on her lips as she turned back to face Dick who looked confused (which was not unusual for him) but also a little hurt.

“Earth to Casablancas!” Veronica called, snapping her fingers in front of his eyes as he seemed completely hypnotised by Mac’s retreating form.

“Er, yeah, right,” he said, pushing his hair out of his face and sighing. “I was just gonna ask, er, about Logan’s party, man,” he said, as if he’d had to really fight to remember what his point was.

‘Either that or he’s making this up on the spot,’ Veronica thought to herself.

“Face it, Dick.” She shook her head as she slammed her locker door shut, a smirk on her face. “You didn’t have any reason to yell my name down the hall or come pelting over here,” she told him. “No reason except to come near Mac without the Neptune High alumni at large suspecting that you have a thing for a member of the ‘lower class’,” she air-quoted.

“No way, dude, I...” Dick began to deny it, but knew from the stern look Ronnie gave him that there was no point. “Busted,” he said to himself, knowing it was all too true.

“Do me a favour, Dick,” Veronica said as she breezed past him, patting his shoulder. “Before Logan’s party rolls around, get a clue."


	19. Chapter 19

_Tonight is either going to be the greatest night ever or a complete disaster. Whilst I hope for the former, I have to admit, I am a little nervous. According to Logan, Dick has a plan. I dread to think what that plan might be but I do know it has something to do with Mac, and beyond that Logan has been sworn to secrecy. I shouldn’t even know that anything has been arranged, but apparently if one bugs ones boyfriend enough they will eventually cave just a little!_

_Anyway, us Kanes are heading out in a limo tonight, driving across town, picking up Meg, Weevil, and Mac on the way, then coming right back to the 090909 area to arrive at Logan's house just as the party starts. The limo is a little OTT, I thought, but Logan insisted on hiring it for us, something about my being so special I deserve the best of everything - how does a girl argue with that?_

_Right now, Lilly is still deciding on an outfit, with barely ten minutes left before the car arrives. Duncan is in his room, as far as I know. We’re still not talking as much as we did once but he’s not all snappy and secretive like before, so I take that as a good sign. Okay, I think that crash was Lilly wrecking her closet. I should go investigate._

“Hey, Lil!” Veronica called as she pushed open her older sisters bedroom door. “You know it’s... Oh my God!” she gasped suddenly when she realised the crashing had not been caused by Lilly alone in her closet.

Spinning around fast, Veronica kept her back firmly faced towards the sight of her sister on top of Weevil on the bed, wearing less than they ought to be.

“Geez, V, learn to knock.” Lilly laughed as she climbed off her boyfriend and her little sister waited patiently until she was sure everyone and eveything was properly covered.

“Geez, Lil, learn to lock,” Veronica countered as she dared to peek behind herself and found the coast was clear. “What? You couldn’t wait for the party to get jiggy with it?” she asked both her sister who was tying her robe around her body, and Weevil who shifted uncomfortably in a button down shirt and smart jeans that he almost never wore.

“What’s up, sweetheart? Sight of a real man burn your virginal little retinas?” he asked her with a leer but no real malice in his tone.

“I’ll let you know when I see one,” she replied everso sweetly as Lilly sighed at their boring banter and pulled a dress from her closet.

“Hey, so I’m thinking, this one maybe?” she asked Veronica’s opinion as she held the item of clothing against her body. “What does it say to you?”

“It says ‘For God sakes, Lilly, put on the dress because the limo will be here in less than ten minutes!’” she said definitely, heading for the door.

“Hey, V?” her sister called her back before she had a chance to leave. “Could you maybe sneak Eli down to the kitchen and grab a drink or something?” she asked, ushering her boyfrend towards the door too. “Let’s just say if he stays, more stuff is going to come off than go on,” she said with a dirty look and tone that Veronica could have done without.

“Okay,” she said quickly. “Just... please, God, stop talking,” she said, waving her hands emphatically as she led Weevil out of the door and made sure he closed it behind them. “Bad, bad mental images,” she muttered, knowing she’d have no objections to the whole clothing removal thing if it was her and Logan behind her bedroom door, but the last thing she needed to be picturing in her head was Lilly and Weevil going at it, something that was all to easy to see in her mind since she’d just caught half the live show.

“So, this is different,” Weevil commented as he followed Veronica down the stairs and into the kitchen. “Y’know me wandering freely in this kinda house, actually a welcome guest of the family... well, maybe just part of the family,” he amended off the look he received from the little blonde.

“Hey, I have no problem with you being here.” She shrugged, opening up the refrigerator and peering inside. “If you make Lilly happy, that’s fine with me, but you should know,” she said seriously as she turned back to the counter by which Weevil had taken a seat and planted two bottles of chilled water between them, “if you ever hurt her, I don’t care how many guys are in your gang or how big your cojones are, I will smite you down,” she said seriously. “You got that?”

“Message received and understood,” Weevil told her with a single nod of his head.

He would be amused by her attitude, but he had to admit to himself at least that he respected the girl. She wasn’t exactly like the other 09ers, but then Lilly really wasn’t either. They had different ways of standing out of course, but they both did. Veronica had some spine and she was smart too, not another air-head drone like those other girls that thought he was dirt just because his family picked up garbage and cleaned houses for a days pay.

“As much as I don’t mind you coming over here,” Veronica said then, head tilted thoughtfully to the side as she observed him across the counter. “I thought we were picking you up in the limo from your place?” she checked, sipping from her water bottle.

“Hey, don’t take this the wrong way, girl,” he said, setting his own bottle down on the counter, having downed a fair amount in one go, “but a fancy ride like that in my neighbourhood? That’d cause just a little too much excitement, y’know?”

“I guess.” Veronica shrugged, sharing a friendly smile with her sister’s unlikely boyfriend just as Duncan appeared in the doorway.

“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked, sounding a little too suspicious, but thankfully he was swiftly followed by Lilly who diffused the situation with her usual lack of tact.

“What’s going on is it’s party time, Donut!” she declared with a grin as she ruffled the hair he’d spent a good half hour making straight and perfect, much to her little brother’s consternation and everyone else’s stifled amusement.

* * *

As the limousine picked up its final passenger the atmosphere inside the car changed once again to a new level of awkward. Veronica had her sister and Weevil to one side, and Mac to the other, with Duncan, Meg, and Dick down the side of the car. The two couples were fine, since Lilly was totally distracted by the dirty things her boyfriend was whispering in her ear and her brother spoke softly to his girl. Veronica kind of felt like the spare part in this machine as she attempted to start a conversation with Mac, but barely received an ‘uh-huh’ response every couple of minutes. Miss Mackenzie was entirely distracted by Dick who was within reaching distance and yet would barely spare her a glance unless he was sure she wasn’t looking at him.

By the time the car pulled up outside the Echolls house, Veronica practically dived for the door, so desperate was she to escape the confined space full of couples and wannabes. She needed to breathe oxygen that wasn’t thick with hormones and longing, she needed to find her own boyfriend and be a couple for a while, instead of the third, or more accurately seventh, wheel.

“Welcome, my friends, to the fun that never ends,” Logan greeted his guests on the doorstep, with a smile and literal open arms that Veronica was happy to go into.

“Dude, get a room!” Dick complained as the couples greeting moved from hug to kiss to almost inappropriate PDA.

“Somebody started the party early.” Veronica breathed a little unevenly when they parted, noting the beer bottle in Logan’s hand and moreso both the taste of it when they’d kissed and the overly-enthusiastic way with which the affection was delivered.

Before the party had even really started it seemed he was a little wasted, and that didn’t entirely thrill her. After all, she’d had enough problems with her last boyfriend’s drug problems and cheating, Veronica really didn’t want to have to deal with an alcoholic this time around.

“Hey, it’s no big deal,” Logan assured her. “I guess maybe I started on the booze a little early,” he said, looking almost shame-faced about it as he and Veronica headed inside behind their friends, their arms around each other. “Daddy Dearest was being kind of an ass before he and my Mom left this morning, didn’t put me in the happiest party mood.”

“You need to talk about it?” Veronica asked curiously, but Logan quickly shook his head as he took another slug of beer.

“The last thing I want to do is talk about my family issues, especially in the middle of the party to end all parties,” he told her as they headed on into the centre of the living room where other people were already dancing.

Logan spun Veronica around under his arm and she laughed at the unexpected move as she twisted back around into his waiting arms. She couldn’t argue with him, and she certainly didn’t want to make him talk about anything he was uncomfortable with. The fact was, nobody got along with their family all the time, and she was the last person who wanted to get into deep conversations about her awkward relationship with her parents. She would leave the topic well alone, and enjoy the party, since it seemed everybody else planned to. Even Mac seemed happy so far, Veronica noted, as she spotted her friend chatting to a young man she recognised as a fellow computer geek. It was so great to her that Logan had invited not just the usual crowd of 09ers to his party but just anyone he wanted there, or more specifically knew Veronica would like to see there.

"Have I told you yet today how awesome you are?" she said, looking up at her boyfriend adoringly, her arms locked around his neck.

"Not that I noticed," he said with a smirk, anticipating the kiss that came next and taking full advantage of the situation as they danced some more. "Is there a particular reason why I'm so great today?" he checked when they parted for breath.

"There are many reasons," Veronica told him with a smile, "but I do love that you threw this party and included everybody, like Mac and Weevil."

"Everybody has the right to party at Casa de Echolls," he assured her as he spun her round the floor until she was dizzy and fell into his arms full force, giggling like a kid.

“Okay, enough,” Veronica cried when she felt a little nauseous and insisted her boyfriend put her down.

Somehow the couple had landed up on the other side of the room, right next to the bar where Dick was standing. The blond was staring intently across the crowded space at Mac, whilst gulping down a double shot. 

“Geez, Dick, go easy,” Logan urged him, clapping his friend on the shoulder. “Don’t wanna be falling down during your big surprise for the Macster,” he reminded him.

He ought to know from the state of Dick that the very reason he was drinking this way was because of said surprise for Cindy Mackenzie. He still wanted to do this, he needed to. He really liked her and it was time to be a man and tell everybody. Hell, if Lilly and that Weevil guy could do it, he could too.

“You wanna tell me yet exactly what his big surprise is?” Veronica asked curiously, following Dick’s gaze across the room to where her friend with the blue-streaked hair laughed with her computer buddies.

“No way, dude,” he said definitely, gulping back another drink and sounding entirely serious and un-Dick-like when he added, “but I guarantee, its gonna blow her mind.”


	20. Chapter 20

Despite the fact she was dateless and out of her depth at an 09er party, Cindy ‘Mac’ Mackenzie was actually having a good time. Usually she was quite happy to spend her time jacked in to cyberspace and all the wonders of her computer. Tonight was like entering a whole new world!

Veronica had become such a great friend and her new boyfriend really was a sweet guy too, Mac was glad she’d extended her small circle of friends to include these two. If not for that chance encounter a few weeks ago at a lunch table at Neptune High, this whole mixed-class party, for want of a better term, may never have happened. Mac certainly hadn’t banked on becoming friends with any of the 09er crowd and yet here she was, along with her fellow computer aficionados, the head of the local biker gang, and so many others mixing it up with the likes of the Kane kids, son of the legendary movie actor, Aaron Echolls, and perhaps most importantly to Mac, a certain blond surfer named Dick Casablancas.

It was crazy and Mac had yet to find any proper explanation for her attraction to a guy that was practically her polar opposite, but hey, it was often said that opposites attract! She really thought he was starting to like her too. The whole punching a biker out debacle had more or less convinced her that it was game on between the two of them, but every time they got a little closer to being close, he went cold on her. On Veronica’s suggestion, Mac had made a conscious effort to avoid Dick and/or appear uninterested in him. Tonight at the party was to be no exception and though she’d sneaked a couple of glances his way so far, she had made sure there was no conversation, no eye contact, nothing encouraging.

It seemed weird, trying to get a guy by not trying, but it might just be working Mac realised as she stood by the punch bowl that was appropriately parked by a mirror in which she could survey half the room with her back to the crowds. Dick was definitely staring, and yes, it was totally possible he was actually looking at somebody to her left or right, there were plenty of hot girls around. There was also a good chance he was just trying to see past her into the glass to check his own appearance, but Mac let herself think, just a for a little while, that he really might be interested in her. After all, she’d pulled out all the stops tonight, put on her best party clothes and all. Okay, so she didn’t look anything like as dolled up as some of the 09er girls, but she looked good, she was sure she did, and told herself as such as she stared at her own reflection and smiled at the girl looking back at her.

Mac was just a little disappointed when she shifted her eyes in the mirror and realised Dick was no longer staring her way, in fact he wasn’t anywhere in the scope of the mirror.

“Hey,” said a female voice suddenly, making Mac jump so much she almost tipped her now full glass of punch right down the front of her shirt. “Ooh, sorry,” Veronica apologised when she realised the near-miss she’d caused.

“No problem,” her friend assured her. “I guess I was a little distracted.”

“By the mirror?” the blonde checked with a look. “My, my, Mac. When did you get so vain?” she checked, all the while looking past her friend at something else, at least Mac thought so.

“No, I was looking at... Why do you keep doing that?” she forgot about the explanation as she asked about Veronica’s odd behaviour. “Is there something more interesting over there?” she asked, craning her neck but was quickly turned back around by her friends hands on her upper arms.

“No!” she said sharply. “Er, no,” she said more calmly off her friends startled expression. “No, there’s nothing going on, just that Logan and some of the guys are setting up karaoke.” She smiled.

“Oh, joy.” Mac rolled her eyes. “Every girl’s a Britney or Christina, every guy’s a Justin Timberlake, right?”

“Oh, I think we can conjure up something a little more interesting than that at such a ground-breaking party as this one,” Veronica said with a smile that was almost frightening.

Mac looked warily at her friend and was almost afraid to keep her eyes open as she was turned around as forcefully as she’d been encouraged not to a moment before. She was half expecting an unwelcome invite to sing, which would have led to the kind of embarrassment that could be literally fatal, she was sure. Mac was entirely relieved and grateful to realise her presence was not required on the make-shift stage as Logan was already up there, unless of course he was just playing host to everybody else’s acts. Mac swallowed hard and fought the urge to run as the host of the party called for the music to be cut and began his announcement.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said with a sweeping arm gesture of grandeur. “Now, do we have a special treat for you?” he told the crowd, though Mac couldn’t help but think his gaze was a little too settled in her general direction.

She rationalised that Logan was actually looking at his girlfriend who was standing right beside her as he spoke of a guy with a message for a special someone. Clearly he was going to sing something for Veronica which ought to be fun... or not.

“No, no, it's not me.” Logan shook his head. “I don’t think I need to make it any clearer how I feel about my girlfriend,” he said as he threw a wink at Veronica and she blushed slightly as all eyes went to her and applause and wolf-whistles were heard, the loudest of which was from Lilly!

Mac was so distracted by her friends relationship and embarrassment for a moment, she wasn’t really listening to what was happening on stage, until it was too late to do anything but react with shock.

“Put your hands together for the vocal stylings of Mr Dick Casablancas!” Logan announced with a whoop and a call that the crowd joined in with as the surfer dude appeared on the stage, looking a little wobbly and not quite his usual cocky and smiley self.

Mac didn’t know what to think at first. She didn’t like the idea of bearing witness to the man she was pretty much in love with sing to some other girl that was prettier and/or richer than her. The fact of it was, he seemed to be looking at her too, and Veronica had made her pay such rapt attention, which almost suggested the girl in question here was her. Mac wanted to tell herself she was being crazy, wanted to run away from the whole horrible situation, but somehow she seemed to be blocked in by other people on all sides and her feet wouldn’t shift from the spot no matter how much she wanted them too, especially when the music started up.

The rhythm and melody was as familiar to her as her own mothers voice, the words hardly any less so as they fell from Dick’s lips, surprisingly tunefully, she realised with a slight smile. Lyrics about a girl that sounded familiar to her ears, though the situation wasn’t entirely accurate, Mac was hardly able to process a rational thought as she was shoved through the crowd by Veronica, arriving by the edge of the make-shift stage just as Dick hit the chorus, fell to his knees, and sang only for her.

“Are you gonna be my girl?” he asked her, through the song that Jet had made famous.

Sure, Dick was no Nic Cester, but right now Mac would’ve refused tickets to the live concert of the real band in question just to stand here a while longer and have Dick sing just for her. The embarrassment subsided when she ceased to recall that anyone else was present in the room, as the song continued and it and its singer were all she could hear and see.

The daze induced by Dick’s act and the way he was gazing down into her eyes only broke for Mac when the song came to its climax and the party around them erupted in applause and whooping cheers, all expect for a select bunch of 09er girls, disgusted at such a display by one of their guys for a poor geek like Mac.

His performance over, Dick pulled himself up to his feet. He too seemed to have forgotten he had any audience but Mac and though blushing was not the norm for the 09er guy that would say and do anything for a laugh, he was just a little self-conscious at this point. The continued applause and adulation seemed to help with that as he regained his love of being centre of attention and realised with obvious delight that he wasn’t about to be turned on for his now clear interest in Mac.

Thinking of the girl he was fast falling for, Dick glanced down to see her again, only to realise she was fast pushing her way through the crowd and out of the room at speed. Veronica called after her, to no avail, as Dick hopped down off the stage landing beside the blonde.

“Dude! What the hell?!” he asked both her, and Logan who appeared by their sides in a moment. “Did I screw up again, man? Because you said the song was the way to go!” he protested at his friend.

“She’s probably just overwhelmed,” Veronica suggested as Dick stared down at her in confusion as to what to do next. “Don’t just stand there like an idiot, Dick!” she answered his unasked but obvious question. “Go after her!” she said, giving him shove in the right direction as Logan suddenly found himself with a microphone in his hand, as his friend ran off behind Mac and the crowd continued to cheer. “I hope this works,” Veronica said turning to her boyfriend then.

“Of course it’ll work.” He rolled his eyes at her lack of faith. “It was my plan! As Tina Tuner once sang ‘Nobody Does It Better’,” he said, putting an arm around her back and pulling her into a brief kiss.

“That was Carly Simon,” she corrected him moment later, “and she also sang ‘You’re So Vain’” she told him with a look as several members of the crowd started begging for their turn at the karaoke fun.

* * *

Beyond the noise of the party, Mac threw herself through the French doors and out onto a patio area. The pool was around the corner and she could here the frivolity of those that were enjoying swimming and playing there. Here in this particular spot she was about as alone as she was ever going to get at an 09ers house party, and she took a deep breath of the fresh air that surrounded her.

Running had seemed like the thing to do, to aid her embarrassment at least, and to remove herself from situation she was neither used to nor knew how to deal with. The very idea that Dick could be interested in her at all had seemed ridiculous, but she had started to believe it as she hung out with him, Logan, and Veronica more and more. He paid her attention outside of school, he’d hit that biker guy that came onto her at the diner, and sometimes when he looked at her, in fact every time that happened, Mac felt like melting into a puddle of goo on the floor.

Still, the last thing she’d expected tonight was what appeared to be a public declaration of feelings via karaoke. She wasn’t used to being centre of attention and Mac liked it that way. Having all those people watching her limited love life evolve right before their eyes, it made the self-proclaimed computer geek feel nauseous, and the pressure of the whole situation had led to the girly and non-Mac-like act of bolting from the room like a scared bunny!

“Mac?” a voice behind her took her breath away again just as soon as she felt she’d regained it. “Hey, er, what’s up?” Dick asked in what she supposed was a casual way, and yet when she turned to look at him, he seemed decidedly awkward.

“I... I just needed some air,” Mac replied, feeling as awkward as he looked as they stood before each other, shuffling their feet and looking anywhere but at each other.

Mac could only hope that Dick’s nervousness was a good sign, after all it was entirely uncharacteristic, and her own girlish behaviour that was also entirely unlike her was only ever in evidence when she was around this man she liked so much. It could easily mean that Dick’s weirdness around her was because he felt the same, and adding the whole intense singing thing on top of that...

“Dude, this is so dumb!” Dick said after a while, and Mac glanced up at him with a sinking feeling in her stomach, realising she was talking herself into a situation that probably didn’t even exist. “You know that song was for you, right? I mean, you got that? It was obvious?”

“Obvious,” Mac echoed, not in a particularly affirmative tone, though Dick took it that way anyhow, as he smiled down at her.

“That’s cool,” he said, and Mac wasn’t sure if it was the bright sunshine that was blinding her or just the grin that he shot her way. “See, I remembered you said you liked Jet and... well, I wasn’t totally sure how to say what I meant 'cause y’know I’m not exactly a words guy.” He shrugged awkwardly. “Y’know you’re gonna be the smart one in this, right?”

“In this?” Mac echoed, her heart hammering in her chest as she realised what he might actually have been implying.

Hell, she should’ve figured out by now just exactly what he meant but until the words were actually spoken, she daren’t let herself believe it. For her this was as close to a fairytale as she was ever going to get. The dreamy blonde 09er that was supposed to be out of bounds to a girl who was relatively poor and labelled as an all-out geek, declaring feelings for her at last.

“Y’know, this thing,” Dick gestured vaguely between the two of them. “You and me, being a thing,” he said, almost uncertainly, like he was asking if it were going to happen rather than telling her it would.

“Oh, that kind of thing.” Mac nodded in understanding, letting a smile find its way onto her lips, allowing herself to relax just a little as his meaning became clearer and she got a little more used to the idea of it all. “So, in answer to your question; yes,” she told Dick, who’s face returned to its usual puzzled look.

“Question?” he checked, not getting it at all, as Mac took a daring step forward and looked up at him through her lashes.

“The song?” she reminded him. “Something about being your girl?” she said, blushing once again in spite of all her efforts to stop it happening.

“Oh, yeah.” Dick grinned in realisation that his plan tonight had worked, forgetting for a moment that it was less his and more Veronica and Logan’s own, forgetting everything if truth be told as he focused on how close Mac was and how easy it would be just to reach out and kiss her.

“If I have to be the smart one in this thing,” she said too softly for her own ears. “Could you maybe be the one that moves first?” she asked him, and it took just a moment for Dick to figure out what that meant.

Words were not his strong point, but action he could handle, especially when it came to girls. Wrapping two strong arms around Mac’s slender body he pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers, sealing the deal on their newfound relationship, much to her delight and uncharacteristically girlish joy.


	21. Chapter 21

_The other night turned out to be one hell of a rollercoaster. It was always going to get a little messy and weird when one is attending an 09er party where all classes are welcome. Logan did a good thing, no doubt about it, but there was always the risk that somebody was going to get a little drunk and loud, then the trouble would begin. Surprisingly, the outbreak of yelling and violence didn’t start with the bikers or even the guys. You would assume that drunken class wars would be started by one of these groups or the other, but no, it was an 09er girl who began the debacle, our very own Madison Sinclair._

_Despite her unceremoniously dumping Dick a while ago, his public display of affection for my friend Mac apparently didn’t sit too well with the princess-like girl we all love to hate. Madison isn’t the most tactful of people when sober, and as she slowly got wasted at the party, she took a turn into all-out Bitchville. I didn’t hear exactly what she said to Mac as she and Dick walked by hand in hand, at last proud to be seen together. I do know that the happy and in love smile on Mac’s face wavered, right up until Dick yelled at Madison for being a ‘dumb bitch’. Oh, that part I heard, the whole party heard, and next thing you know, it’s war._

_A rather tipsy Sean jumped to Madison’s defence, presumably in some desperate and misguided attempt to get into her underwear. One of Mac’s computer friends yelled something back, obviously on the side of the good and pure, and in seconds threats and accusations were flying faster than Concorde ever did._

_And in all this violence, the irony appeared. Who was the guy to split up all the problems and saved the day? Yep, you guessed it, Eli Navarro. Better known for starting fights than encouraging them to end peacefully, he cut right in front of me when I moved to wade in and stop the uproar, basically telling everyone to back the hell off, that this was a party, not a boxing ring, and that everybody should have some respect._

_I was proud of Weevil then, after all, he could’ve just jumped in on the fight and probably beaten down everybody else with ease. He could’ve been sucked into the class politics and all, but he wasn’t._

_‘It’s a kinder, gentler Weevil’ Logan had joked from a distance, but I think he might actually be right. Maybe there is a nice side to the guy known for violence and terror. He was perfectly nice to me before the party too. Unfortunately, his cool calmness didn’t last long enough..._

_Right in the middle of a perfectly nice slow dance, just when I thought the night couldn’t get any better, watching Mac and Dick dance together across the room, and with Logan’s arms wrapped around me, it was all too good to be true, it had to be. Suddenly there was a crash and yelling started up, voices I recognised all too well - Lilly and Weevil. Seems he’d got some weird ideas about my sister and a possible passion for Logan’s moviestar father, Aaron Echolls. I vaguely remember her swooning over a couple of his old movies one time, but that hardly constitutes yelling about a possible affair!�One week on from the party, the unlikely pair are holding it together, but things aren’t good. To be honest, I’m finding it less than easy to be on Lilly’s side. I know what she’s like, maybe better than anyone. She has a knack with guys, they tend to fall at her feet at every turn. As gross as it would be to realise she was doing anything at all with my boyfriend’s father, I’m afraid to say it’s not the craziest idea I ever heard. The worst of it is, she barely denies it, only yells at Weevil for daring to accuse her._

_I wish I knew what to say to Lilly, but sometimes it’s just so hard to know where to start. I want to tell her I believe she would never cheat on Eli, but honestly, I’m not so sure I do. That seems like an awful thing to say about my own sister, but as much as Weevil loves Lilly, Lilly loves guys._

_Right now, I’m only glad that my own relationship is running smoothly, as is that of my good friend Mac and unlikely boyfriend Dick Casablancas. Its the weirdest thing, I really never would’ve put them together as a couple, not in a million years, and yet when I see them together now, it just works. I guess it’s true what they say, opposites attract. For every smart thing about Mac there’s something dumb about Dick, but nobody can deny that they are totally into each other. I have to say, I’m really happy for them, almost as happy as I am for myself._

_Logan has achieved something I thought he would never be able to do. He made me fall in love, and it’s actually not as horrifying as I thought it might be. I was such a fool to think Troy was the big love of my life, but now, well, without sounding like I regressed a couple of years to my pep squad days, Logan might just be ‘the one’. I certainly feel like I’m in love and he’s making it pretty clear that he feels the same._

_For the first time in a long time I actually feel like I belong in my world, not so much with my family lately, since so often we’re apart, busy with our own lives, but hanging out with my boyfriend, and our new group of friends, yeah, that feels like home._

_Everything is just going so great right now, Weevil and Lilly’s rocky patch not withstanding. As awful as it sounds, I’m almost waiting for something worse to happen, for something big to come in and break up all the good. I know, I should learn to be more optimistic, and its not like my life isn’t privileged and lucky enough for me to believe in good over bad, still..._

The bell rang signalling the end of newspaper class and Veronica hurriedly shut down her laptop and pushed it into her bag. Having finished her article with time to spare, she had taken the oppurtunity to note down a few things in the journal that had been mostly abandoned this past week or more. Veronica had just been busy with other things, having fun with her boyfriend and her friends. She really hadn’t felt the need to spill her guts in electronic fashion to a page that never gave any useful advice. She was happy, and it felt good, hence the fact that she was smiling widely as she headed down the hall to lunch.

She was oblivious to the world, until Logan suddenly appeared, grabbing her by the waist from behind and making her jump. She socked him in the arm, her punch playful as she turned in his arms and welcomed his kiss.

“Do you make a habit of sneaking up on unsuspecting young women like that, Mr Echolls?” she asked him with a twinkle in her eye that was reflected in his own.

“Only the ones I find irresistible, Miss Kane,” he told her as they turned to walk down the hall together, her arm around his waist and his across her shoulders. “You have plans for lunch?” he asked as they went through the doors and out into the sunshine.

“Um, well, eating,” she said with a nod and a smile. “That is kind of the point of lunch.”

“So witty, so terribly witty,” Logan faked admiration with sarcasm to spare.

“What can I say? I do what I can,” Veronica joked along with him, “but seriously, no big lunch plans,” she told him. “Why, did you have something in mind?” she checked as he looked one way and then the other, before pulling Veronica by the hand around the side of the school building and kissed her like it was going out of style.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said when they parted a moment later and she tried to catch her breath. “I was thinking maybe we could get some alone time,” he said, his meaning clear as crystal to Veronica.

“So, just to recap,” she said, looking thoughtful. “My options are a) 09er company and take-outs, b) gross cafeteria food, or c) finding some secluded spot and making out with my boyfriend,” she counted each point off on her fingers pretending to think hard about her choice, as Logan leant on the wall beside her, watching her with amusement. “Well, I guess that leaves me with just one question,” she said eventually.

“And what’s that?” her boyfriend checked, leaning in over her, close enough to kiss.

“What exactly is in the meatloaf surprise?” she asked completely throwing Logan off, since it was the last thing he’d expected her to say.

Laughing at her own joke, and moreso at the stunned look on her boyfriends face, Veronica ducked out under his arm and moved to walk away. The look she threw over her shoulder told him to follow already, the smile and the look in her eyes suggesting she’d made the choice he wanted her to make too.

Hand in hand they headed across the quad and around the back of the school building, passing by Mac and Dick who were completely oblivious to the rest of the world, feeding each other pizza, her head on his shoulder. Veronica smiled widely at the odd cuteness of it all, as she and Logan continued on. She knew where she and her boyfriend could get some time alone, somewhere nobody would be watching.

“Ah, so this is where we were headed.” Logan smirked when he realised where they were. “Veronica Kane’s little fortress of solitude.”

“A little less solitudey now,” she noted as she pulled him forward by his shirt, practically dragging him towards the opening beneath the bleachers where she used to hide out so often.

“I seem to remember being here once before,” he noted, pretending to think hard of the memory that was so clear in reality. “This cute little blonde stood right through there and told me how she didn’t date and even if she did, she’d never date me,” he said, with an unreadable expression.

“Don’t you know its a woman’s prerogative to change her mind?” she told him, hoping Logan wasn’t about to go all serious on her when fun had been on his mind just moments before.

Veronica could use some mindless fun for a while, before some new complication fell in on her world. Everything was running pretty smoothly right now in most parts of her life and that of her friends, and she really wanted to take advantage of that before it all went kablooey.

“Just, y’know, don’t change it back any time soon, okay?” he said seriously, putting a hand to her cheek. “Although this may not be the greatest time or most romantic place... I love you, Veronica,” he told her with the most intense look in his eyes that she’d ever seen.

For a long moment, Veronica wasn’t quite sure how to react. She’d suspected Logan’s feelings for her ran pretty deep, he’d made that obvious, but he’d never said it right out like this. In fact, no man had ever said those three little words to her quite like that, and she let it sink in before she gave the only answer she could.

“That’s a good thing,” she said with a smile, “because I love you too,” she assured him, reaching up to kiss him as he backed her up through the opening and beneath the bleachers.

They were so caught up in each other and how they felt, they were completely unaware they had a one man audience, until he spoke.

“Veronica?” the sound of her name in her brother’s own voice stunned the blonde out of her passionate moment with her boyfriend.

“Duncan,” she said, clearly startled as she spun to face him, sitting on the ground in the dark. “What are you...?” she began as she moved towards him with Logan hovering behind her. “What’s going on?” she asked, feeling ever more concerned as she realised there were tear-tracks on her brother’s face and he looked terrible.

“It’s Meg,” he said, his voice shaking as he wiped his face with the back of one hand.

“What about Meg?” Veronica asked as she crouched down before him, obviously very concerned. “Is she okay? Did you two fight-?”

“She’s pregnant, Veronica,” he told her, his sharp words breaking through her muttered ramblings like a hot knife through butter. “She’s pregnant with my baby.”


	22. Chapter 22

_Living as we do, born to a family of privilege, it has a lot of upsides. Unfortunately, as the scientific brains are fond of reminding us, what goes up must come down. For every upside to money and local fame, there is a distinct downside, like when your twin brother gets his girlfriend pregnant whilst they're both still in high school!_

_Of course, that’s assuming that Meg actually is pregnant, there are no guarantees until a doctor confirms it. Right now it’s just a late period and a drugstore test that’s giving the positive result that so far only four of us know about. I guess now I know why Duncan has been acting differently lately, in particular that one night when he snapped at me. That was probably the night when he and Meg, for want of a better phrase, sealed the deal on their relationship._

_Well, hearing about her pregnancy certainly dampened the mood between me and Logan earlier today. I have never been less in the mood to make out than after hearing that my class mate had gone one base too far with my brother, and that the act had possibly resulted in the creation of a child. I so couldn't deal with that right now, being pregnant. Meg is mature for her age and everything, but even she must be terrified. I don't know much about her family, other than they're pretty reserved, but then I doubt any parent, especially around here, would be too happy to hear that their seventeen year old daughter just got knocked up by the local millionaires son. At least they know she'll have support from Duncan and our family, at least I suppose she will. So far Mom and Dad don't know about the possible pregnancy and they’re not supposed to for a while._

_Duncan is afraid of their reaction, and I can't blame him for that. We don't have the strictest parents in the world, but they're not exactly the free and easy hippy type either. Mom will probably have some kind of fit when she hears. I think Dad will mostly be disappointed, though I can't imagine he and Duncan ever had that man to man talk that fathers and sons should. Dad's not really the type to bring that kind of thing into conversation, and Mom certainly isn't. It was Lilly that gave me the birds and bees talk years ago now, not that I've ever put it into practice._

_Hearing what’s happening with Meg and Duncan proves to me that I made the right choice in not getting so close to Troy. Oh, I thought about it, and he was pretty eager, but thankfully my good sense won out and nothing serious ever happened between us. Now that really would've have made for a much more painful break-up than we actually had. It really doesn't bear thinking about._

_As for me and Logan, well, I guess we'll get there some day. I meant it when I said I love him, and I do believe he feels the same. Unfortunately, loving the person you decide to sleep with doesn’t mean that you want to get pregnant, or that you won't. I listened in Health class and I have no doubt my teacher would be proud to know that I remember what I was taught - condoms are not 100% safe; the contraceptive pill has no effect if a bout of the stomach flu hits and clears your body out; abortions can be dangerous. Venturing down the sex road, even with a guy I love and trust, really doesn’t seem so appealing right now, and anyway..._

Veronica stopped writing abruptly when she heard a loud crash beneath her. Something was clearly occurring in the room below hers and, with her inquisitive nature getting the better of her, she hopped off her bed, abandoning her laptop to go and see what was happening. She half expected the latest fracas to have Lilly at its centre as was often the case, and was therefore more than a little surprised to realise the raised voices she could hear as she descended the stairs belonged not to her mother and sister, but to her father and twin brother.

Reaching the door, Veronica immediately spotted broken glass just beyond it. Somebody had got mad enough to throw something against the wall, and she would guess it was her father and a glass of scotch, since amber liquid left a trail behind beyond the mark high on the wall. Then Veronica saw her brother, angry and upset, trying to plead his case with their parents.

“If you’d just listen to me for once in your life...” he tried to say, but nobody was taking any notice at all.

Veronica was sure she could hear her mother crying and her father began yelling again, not caring for anything Duncan had to say. It was obvious the truth had come out somehow, presumably inadvertantly, and the Kanes were showing what a wonderfully supportive family unit they could be - or not! Veronica felt awful for Duncan as their father laid into him with cruel and harsh words.

“How could you be so irresponsible?” he boomed. “For God sakes, Duncan, you’re supposed to be smart! We had plans for you! They did not include you knocking up the first girl that smiled at you!”

“It’s not like that!” Duncan yelled back. “I love Meg, she makes me happy!”

“Oh, she makes you happy?” Jake echoed, obviously unimpressed. “Well, let’s see how happy you are when you’re lying awake at night in your rented room with a baby screaming the place down whilst you worry how you’re going to pay for food to feed yourselves!”

“Thanks, Dad,” Duncan said sarcastically. “Thanks a lot for your support. It’s great to know that just as soon as any of us really need you, you’ll be there to tell us where we went wrong and throw us out!” he said angrily. “But hey, what am I saying? I know damn well that if Lilly came to you saying she was pregnant, you wouldn’t yell at her,” he complained and though Veronica didn’t like to admit it, she knew her brother was right.

Lilly could do no wrong in her fathers eyes, and though their Mom went ape, it had little effect and nothing ever came of her yelling or threats. Jake ruled the roost, and he wouldn’t hear a bad thing said about his girls, either of them, and that made Veronica feel just a little guilty.

She knew if she went to her parents with news she was going to have a baby it wouldn’t exactly be welcomed, but her Dad would be looking to castrate the guy responsible, he wouldn’t blame Veronica. Their parents were just split that way. Celeste wasn’t hugely maternal with any of them, though Duncan always appeared to be her favourite, whilst Jake cared most for his little girls, and Veronica most of all. She knew she ought to feel like she fit in better because of this, but it didn’t help.

“Don’t change the subject!” Jake boomed, pulling Veronica from her brief journey into her own thoughts as she hovered by the door and listened still. “We had faith in you, Duncan! We expected you to have more sense than to knock up some whore-”

“Meg is not a whore!” Duncan screamed, voice reaching a level rarely heard from the usually docile boy.

Veronica knew that volume of noise from her brother all too well. She used it like a warning signal, because it never failed to lead to a consequence she hated more than anything. Clearly Jake wasn’t paying attention, if he had been he would have noticed too and calmed the situation down. He was just so focused on how mad he was, he failed to realise just how angry Duncan was getting.

“Have you seen what you’ve done, you stupid idiot boy!” he yelled. “Your mother is in tears, this family will be ruined because of you!”

“Dad, stop it!” Veronica was a little stunned to realise those words had come out of her mouth as she pushed herself into the room and faced him.

Duncan grew more angry, red in the face with smoke practically coming out of his ears as the little blonde looked between him and her father.

“This doesn’t concern you, Veronica!” Jake said angrily, pointing a finger at her and then towards the door. “Go to your room!”

“Don’t take this out on her!” Duncan interjected, hands curling into fists. “Don’t you dare!”

“Oh, now you’re telling me what I dare to do, Duncan?” Jake yelled back at him, ignoring Veronica as she pleaded with him to let it go. “Did you forget who is in charge here?” he challenge the boy who suddenly lost it in a fit of fury that his sister had been hoping to avoid.

Duncan launched himself at his father like some kind of feral animal, as Celeste screamed and Jake collapsed to the ground with his son on top of him, hands at his throat.

“Duncan, no!” Veronica dived into the fray, desperate to stop this before it got out of hand.

Though she was tough for her size and not afraid to put herself in the firing line to save a member of her family she loved too much to see hurt, Veronica was no match for Duncan in his current state. She ought to have known it, just as Jake ought to have known that his yelling and cursing would only lead to this outcome - an epilepsy-related episode of rage from his son.

As Veronica grabbed Duncan’s arms and tried to get him to let up his grip on their fathers throat by any means possible, her brother pushed her away with a force even she hadn’t been expecting. Thrown back towards the breakfast bar behind her, Veronica’s head made contact with the edge and she slid to the floor, feeling more than a little woozy. She barely noticed that one hand slammed into the broken glass on the floor as she landed with a thud, which concerned even her mother it seemed as she ran to her side.

Whether it was Veronica’s injury that did it, or just Jake’s struggled and literally strangled words, nobody was sure, but in a moment Duncan was back from his moment of crazy anger into the real world. Jake watched his son’s eyes soften, and his body grew limp, he knew in an instant what had happened to him, even though he remembered nothing of the last few moments.

“Oh my God, Veronica,” Jake cursed, moving Duncan aside and rushing to his little girl who was wincing as her eyes flickered open. “Baby, can you hear me?”

“I’m okay, Dad,” she said bravely, though pain was evident on her face as her one good hand went to her head where it throbbed still and her other hand bled profusely onto the tiled floor.

“She needs a hospital,” Celeste told her husband as she got back to her feet and moved to where Duncan was sat, his back pushed up against the end of the couch as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

One minute he was arguing with his Dad over Meg and the baby, the next Veronica was hurt and he had no idea how. The only explanation seemed to be that he had first attacked her and then Jake, though that made little sense to him. Of course, he knew that very little, if any, of what he did in his episodes ever made sense, it had just been so long since he’d had one, Duncan had almost started to believe he was done with all this, that his epilepsy no longer affected him - no such luck.

“What have I done?” he asked shakily as his mother put her arm around his back and encouraged him up from the floor.

“It’s okay, Duncan,” she told him as calmly as she could. “It was an accident and Veronica is going to be just fine,” she said, trying to get him out of the door, but he wasn’t keen to leave.

“Veronica!” he called back to her, and though she was in pain, his sister knew she had to assure him it was okay if he was going to stay calm and lucid.

“I’m okay, Duncan,” she lied, forcing a smile which was almost impossible to do. “I’m okay, it’s alright,” she promised him as Celeste encouraged Duncan out of the room, telling him they must get him to his room.

Back in the room they had just left, Veronica let her smile slide the moment her brother was gone and collapsed into tears on her father's shoulder.

“I knew it was coming,” she sobbed. “I knew but I couldn’t stop him.”

“Ssh, baby, its alright,” Jake told her, holding onto her tight. “It’s not your fault. If anything it’s mine, I shouldn’t have gotten so mad at your brother, I just... it doesn’t matter now,” he realised, reaching for a towel and carefully binding his daughters bleeding hand. “Right now we have to get you to the Emergency Room...” he said, calling for one of the staff to bring his car around immediately. “Now, I’m going to check on your mother and Duncan, I’ll just be gone a minute, I promise,” he told his daughter then, who nodded that she understood, then grabbed the back of her head when it ached badly from the movement.

“My beautiful brave girl,” Jake said softly, kissing her on the forehead before scrambling to his feet and practically running out of the door.

Alone in the room, Veronica was starting to wish she’d never come down here when she heard that crash. On the other hand if she hadn’t tried to stop Duncan, there was every chance he could’ve killed their Dad. He was capable of anything when the rage took over, this she knew first hand. It must have been nearly two years since Duncan had last had one of his seizures, but that didn’t mean Veronica had ever allowed herself to believe it was all over.

“She has to see a doctor, Celeste!” Jake’s voice could suddenly be heard on the stairs, yelling up to his wife whose words could not be heard when she answered, still Veronica listened intently. “I’ll tell them it was an accident, that she slipped and fell.”

“And if she says something different?” Veronica heard her mother reply then.   
“I don’t want the Sheriff involved. As if those Mars didn’t give us enough trouble before!” she hissed. “If not for them, Veronica wouldn’t-”

“Enough, Celeste!” Jake snapped at her. “Now I’m taking our daughter to the hospital, no arguments,” he said firmly, as Veronica heard him returning to the room where she waited for him.

Allowing her head to loll somewhat, she let the semi-consciousness that threatened to take over a little. She didn’t want to look like she’d been listening, since she was clearly not supposed to have overheard those words that were now burnt into her brain. For now she must concentrate on getting her head and hand checked over and cleaned up, and then the rest of the fall-out from both Duncan’s fit and his possible fatherhood.

Later, Veronica would think more about what her parents had been saying, and try to figure out the connection between them, Sheriff Mars, his long departed wife, and herself.


	23. Chapter 23

“And you’re okay now?” Mac checked with her friend, wincing at the very thought of the injuries her friend had sustained.

Veronica had made it all the way to lunch without anyone but Logan really noticing her hand was bound and her complexion was pale. Severe avoidance tactics had been employed as she dreaded being asked what had happened, knowing she would have to lie about it all. Nobody was to know about Duncan’s epilepsy, that had been true for years, but then it had never been a major concern before now. Nothing had ever happened to prompt anyone to need to know, and this was one secret even Lilly managed to keep.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine,” she forced a smile at the friendly concern showed to her, though happiness was the last thing she was actually feeling.

Too much was going on in Veronica’s head right now, far too much for one sixteen year old girl to fathom out alone, and yet she had no-one to turn too. Duncan was staying home for at least today if not longer as Celeste fussed over him and his latest fit. For now it seemed the whole Meg’s pregnancy debacle was forgotten, though Veronica doubted that would be true for long. Tomorrow Ms Manning was due to see a doctor and then they would all know for sure if both her family and the Kanes were going to welcome a new arrival in less than nine months. It was a shocking and almost frightening concept.

As for Lilly, she seemed to have little or no concern for anything that was happening with her family. She’d hardly been at home this past week, and Veronica guessed she was doing her best to keep Weevil sweet after the fight they had at Logan’s party. When Lilly did get to hear about her brother’s fit and her sister’s injuries, Veronica was a little underwhelmed by the lack of sympathy either of them received, but then that was just Lilly sometimes. She had a decidedly self-centred streak and it wasn’t a good thing, still her siblings knew that underneath it all she did love them, just as they loved her. In the end they would always fight each other corners on the really important stuff, so the little stuff was allowed to slide.

Then there was Logan, who was shaping up to be the best boyfriend Veronica could hope for. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to betray her brother’s secret to him, and as for the other thing on her mind, well, Veronica wasn’t even sure what that secret was yet, if there was one to be uncovered at all! Her parents had a problem with the Mars, and since that family consisted only of the Sheriff and his wife who had left Neptune so many years before, Veronica had trouble figuring out what ever might have happened between the two older couples.

“Hey, Ronnie!” Dick leaned right over the lunch table and waved his hand right in front of her face to get her attention. “Dude, where’d you go?” he asked her, and it was only then that Veronica realised she must have zoned out spectacularly once again.

It was at least the third time today that she’d done it, and Logan was starting to worry about her.

“Are you okay, Veronica?” he checked, with genuine concern in his eyes for her.

Unfortunately, the blonde was paying little attention and just got up from her seat, muttering something about being fine, and walking away in a world of her own.

“Something’s not right,” Mac said, with a shake of her head, a sentiment that both her boyfriend and Logan clearly agreed with.

“I think it’s just family stuff.” He shrugged, as he stared after his girlfriend.

“We all have it.” Dick nodded, as he and Mac got talking about the hell that was their own families, and Logan spaced out just as easily as Veronica had before.

There was something seriously wrong, and he doubted it was as simple as Duncan and Meg making babies. There was something deep and serious on her mind and gentle coaxing clearly wasn’t enough to get it out of her. Logan decided to go with the straight out approach as he watched Veronica head round the corner and guessed where she was going.

“I’ll see you guys later,” he told Mac and Dick, absently waving goodbye to them as he ran off after his girlfriend.

By this time the conversation between the odd couple had turned into a ‘no, you’re cuter’ kind of deal, punctuated with kisses and other near-nauseating niceties that had Logan realised were happening he would have been pleased to avoid anyway. Right now though he was oblivious to all but Veronica, as he ran to catch up to her and managed it with ease since she was hardly making an effort to hurry. She seemed to not even realise he was there until he was within touching distance and even then seemed startled by the fact that anyone was there.

“Hey,” he said as she jumped at the feel of his hand on her shoulder and spun around with a look that said she’d flatten anyone who messed with her. “Veronica, what’s going on?” he asked, desperate to help, but knowing he really couldn’t unless she was prepared to tell him what was worrying her.

“I wish I knew,” she said, looking tearful as she turned her eyes to the heavens.

Logan wasn’t sure if she were looking for an answer up there or just trying anything she could that might keep her from crying, or at least keep him from seeing that’s what she was about to do.

“Is it about Duncan and Meg?” he checked not really seeing why that should be quite such a big deal for Veronica herself, but at a loss to see what else the problem might be.

Though he loved her, Logan realised he didn’t know Veronica all that well yet. He’d lived in Neptune just a few short months, and had been dating this girl for just a fraction of that time. He wanted to know her, inside and out, and somehow he knew he wanted her always as part of his life, and yet there was so much still to go through, so much he didn’t and couldn’t understand.

“Yes, and no,” Veronica said honestly, bringing her eyes back down to meet his and letting her shoulders slump as if she had the weight of the world upon them. “I don’t know, Logan, I just... I feel like everything is getting so messed up, and I don’t understand anything anymore,” she said, those tears that had threatened before finally spilling over her lashes and down her cheeks.

Veronica wasn’t sure exactly what she was crying for, and Logan had even less clue, but that didn’t mean he was any the less willing to bring her comfort and she was no less grateful for his arms around her. Holding her body close to his, Logan kissed the top of her head and promised to always be there whenever and for whatever she needed.

It was a good feeling, the weirdest sensation of belonging that Veronica had felt in a long time. Her family never quite felt like home, and with her sister’s lack of care so far this week and her brother occupied with his own very big problems, that left Veronica somewhat out in the cold. Other peoples problems might seem bigger than hers, broken hearts and broken bones, but hers was deep-seated, long-lasting.

Daughter of one of the richest men in Neptune, girlfriend to the son of moviestars, and with more true friends right now than she ever had, Veronica ought to be happier than most, but money didn’t buy happiness, and friends sometimes just weren’t enough. Sometimes to be truly happy you needed answers, and that was what Veronica Kane was determined to get.

With a sudden burst of enthusiasm to turn her dreary day around, the blonde pulled her head off Logan’s chest and looked up at him with the first genuine, albeit watery smile she’d managed to find all day.

“Thank you, Logan,” she said sincerely, as he gazed down at her, his own expression pure confusion.

“For what?” he checked, wondering what help he possibly could’ve been.

“For being here, for being you.” She smiled up at him. “For reminding me I still have something to be happy about, and someone I can always rely on.”

With that, she reached up and kissed him softly on the lips, the smile she’d found never fading even as she pulled away again a moment later. Logan was only too happy to see her looking better, and he would do anything he could to keep her in her present state.

“So, how about continuing with the joy and laughter,” he suggested. “I’m thinking you, me, Mac, Dick, maybe bowling? Whad’you say?”

“Maybe.” Veronica nodded. “But not right after school, I have to go to the Sheriff’s station first,” she sad, the faraway look returning to her eyes as she spoke of it.

She knew now that if she wasn’t going to get any answers out of her parents, and she knew without even trying that it was true, she would have to go to her other source. Sheriff Mars had taught her a lot over the Summer and she’d hardly seen anything of him since. Using her visit as an excuse to catch up with him and the rest of the staff in the office, Veronica planed to dig a little deeper in to the past that her parents and Keith and Lianne Mars apparently shared.

“What’s wrong? You need to report a crime?” Logan asked about her trip, unsure as to whether he ought to seriously ask the question or make it a joke.

“I honestly don’t know,” his girlfriend said then, frown returning in place of her smile as she realised she’d never even considered that frightening option.

* * *

Veronica felt a little weird as she stepped through the door into the Sheriff’s station, adjusting her book bag on her shoulder. It was a while since she’d been here to visit, and that she felt kind of guilty for. Another feeling was uncertainty about exactly what she was going to say to the man she’d learnt so much from over the Summer, and what response she might expect to get to any questioning. Last of all was the emotion that Veronica would rather focus on; as strange as it would sound if she tried to tell anyone about it, this was one place where the youngest Kane felt entirely at home. It was all so familiar, it made her smile in spite of herself, but there was one face behind the desk that she did not know.

“Hi,” she greeted the young man who had been engrossed in the papers before him until she spoke. “Er, is the Sheriff around?” she asked, a little thrown not to see a familiar face here - she thought she knew all the deputies.

“Anything I can help with, miss?” he offered, and Veronica shook her head in the negative when she realised what he meant. 

“Oh, no, it’s not a crime thing, I just, well, I spent a lot of time here a few months ago,” she explained, wondering how weird this might sound to an outsider from her life and situation. “I don’t know, I was thinking maybe a job in law enforcement was for me, but-”

“Oh, you must be Veronica,” the deputy said suddenly with a snap of his fingers and a grin that was almost too much for his face to handle.

“I had no idea I had celebrity status around the watercooler,” she joked, a little unnerved by the fact she’d clearly gained some kind of reputation as a sheriff squad groupie or similar.

“You’re pretty famous amongst the deputies,” the young man told her, smile not shifting as he leaned over the counter towards her and whispered conspiritarally. “To be honest, I think some of them were a little afraid for their jobs when you were here,” he said, making her smile too. “Of course, I don’t believe you could be a deputy,” he said with a shake of his head as he righted himself.

The grin on Veronica’s face was gone in a second as she went on the defensive at his remark.

“Why? Because I’m a girl?” she challenged him, but the as yet mystery man shook his head, waving away her theory with a vague hand gesture.

“No,” he assured her. “Because you’re just too pretty,” he told her, and Veronica swore he blushed more than she did the moment the words were said.

“I don’t even know your name and yet... you’re a fast worker, Deputy...?”

“Leo,” he filled in for her. “Leo D’Amato, at your service, Miss Kane,” he told her as he took her hand and shook it lightly, even bowing a little, as if they were gentleman and lady.

“Charmed, I’m sure,” Veronica played along with an amused grin, the moment gone by quickly and leaving the two young people right back in the middle of awkward silence.

“So, I guess you could wait if you wanna see Sheriff Mars,” Leo said then, gesturing to the chairs across the way. “He shouldn’t be too long.”

“Won’t I be kind of a pain just hanging around here?” she checked, knowing that one of two deputies objected when she go under their feet.

Deputy Lamb in particular found her troublesome and annoying, not that Veronica cared much. She did so love to bug him sometimes, but today she didn’t feel like dealing.

“Believe me, you’re a welcome distraction,” Leo told her, still grinning and Veronica became a little too uncomfortable at this point.

“Yeah.” She sighed. “Before we get a little too far down this flirty road, you should know that I have a boyfriend,” she confessed, and though Leo opened his mouth to give a response, it was not his voice she heard, but another that came from behind her.

“Really?” the Sheriff said as he walked in and right by the blonde, turning behind the counter to face her. “Well, I guess that’s the reason we haven’t seen you around so much,” he considered with a smile. “How are you doing, Veronica?”

“I’m good,” she told him, which was at least half true. “Actually, I was hoping you had a little time to spare. I’d love to catch up.”

“For you, I always have time,” Keith promised her, ushering her through to his office.

Though she walked with confidence and smiled as if she hadn’t a care in the world, inside Miss Kane was a wreck. She’d come here for a purpose, to uncover a truth. Hell, if any place was apt for such a thing it was the Sheriffs office, but she dreaded what she might hear, and how awkward things might have to get before Sheriff Mars told her what she needed to know. Still, it had to be done, and better now than never.


	24. Chapter 24

_Writing this seemed like the thing to do, anything to keep my mind and hands busy as I wait for Duncan to arrive back from the clinic where he and Meg will find out once and for all if she is pregnant. It’s crazy to think that my brother could be a father, that Lilly and me could be Aunts to a tiny baby in less than nine months. Of course, there is still a slight chance that there's been a mistake, and I know my parents and probably Meg’s too are clinging onto that, like drowning people to... well, anything that won't let them drown!_

_I'm not so sure how Duncan feels about all this. I wanted to ask him but after what happened before, well, as if he wasn’t quiet enough, he could barely face me after hurting me the way he did. I don't blame him, of course I don’t, but it doesn’t stop him feeling guilty about it._

_Lilly and me have both known since we were kids that there was something different about my twin, an illness that caused violent fits. We were taught back then that it wasn't his fault and that if he ever said or did anything bad during one of those times we should just let it go, no revenge looked for or even apology expected. It’s weird that he should have this epilepsy thing and I don't. Its occurred to me before, but Dad always said it just doesn’t work that way. Just because we're twins, it doesn’t mean everything is the same, for starters we're boy and girl, and our hair and eyes are different colours. This illness is just the same apparently, and I have to say I'm grateful for it._

_Anyway, talking about Duncan is just making me more nervous about what’s going to happen when he gets home, and also reminding me how much this typing is making my hand throb. Oh well, it still beats trying to hold a pen which was pretty much impossible when I tried it. Thank God for modern technology!_

_So, onto the other thing that’s playing on my mind. I went to see Sheriff Mars yesterday, under false pretences, but I don't think he realised. I did want to catch up with him, like I said, I just had an ulterior motive too._

_We were getting along great like always for a while there, he told me about some of the latest big cases - leaving out names and confidential details, obviously - and I told him about school and Logan. He got a little weird about my having a boyfriend and made a big deal about being careful with an 'experienced' guy. That was a little weird coming from him, but I guess it was kind of a Sheriff-y thing to say, after all, it would kind of be breaking the law if Logan and I went, y'know, all the way yet._

_It was when I started talking about my parents that Sheriff Mars kind of clammed up on me. I guess I really shouldn't have brought up his wife either, though I was complimentary._

_I don't remember much about Lianne Mars, we were just kids when she left town and before that she was heard about more than seen. The Sheriff certainly wasn't eager to talk about her, even though I said I recalled her as a nice woman. This was on the rare occasion of course when she wasn't drunk, but we didn't need to mention that!_

_I do remember one time, I must've been about seven or eight, and Dad had taken me out in the car, I forget where we were going. We'd stopped off at a store to pick up food or something and I went into near-hysterics right there in the middle of the store when my dancing and spinning around in the aisle knocked over a couple of jars, one of them smashing all over the floor. It was Lianne who had come and comforted me, as my Dad was caught up trying to pay the cashier and take a call on his cell at the same time. She was just so nice to me, giving me a hug a promising that everything was okay, it was an accident and she had them too. I guess the part I didn’t understand then was that her own ‘accidents’ were more frequent and brought on by more alcohol than her body could handle._

_God, I wish I could stop looking at the clock. Its barely five minutes since I last looked and every time I just keep thinking that Duncan should be home any time. He’ll get here when he gets here, and no faster for my checking every few minutes, but what’s a worried sister to do? My head is split between worrying about this whole baby thing, and thinking about my parents and the Mars and the possible connection between the two of them and me._

_Of course, it would probably be healthier to think about the happy things in my life. I’m not exactly lacking in privileges, and unlike Duncan, and Lilly for that matter, I do at least have a love life that’s running smoothly. Logan is great, he’s been a real help these past few weeks. In spite of all those feelings I still get where I just feel detached and lost, I always feel at home in his arms. He makes me feel different, special, like I’m the most important person in the world. Still, I wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m with him selfishly, I do love him too. If I just wanted compliments and a hot guy who’s arm I could hang off, there’s more than one person I could turn too. Apparently the newest deputy at the station has taken quite a shine to me, or so Sheriff Mars seemed to think._

_Though Leo D’Amato can apparently be called upon to smile like a clown on acid almost-constantly, the Sheriff saw something different in the boy when he looked my way. He was certainly complimentary and flattering when we were talking, but I think I made it pretty clear that this girl is off the market, and intends to stay that way!_

Unfortunately, I’m sounding as if my sister isn’t so quick to stop the advances of other guys in favour of her boyfriend. It seemed like it really was going to work for a while, the whole her and Weevil thing, but lately he’s not around so much, and when I see them together they’re usually yelling. I know he’s jealous of the other male attention she gets, mostly because he doesn’t know if he can trust her not to stay faithful. I’d like to reassure him she never would because she loves him too much, but I just can’t. Lilly isn’t really talking to anybody about her life right now, not even me, and I am worried she’s going to land herself in trouble somewhere along the line.

_I really have to make more of an effort for her. I’ve been too wrapped up in my own issues, and Duncan’s too, she’s kind of been pushed to the back and that’s not fair..._

The front door opening and closing got Veronica’s attention away from anything else she might’ve been thinking of as she stood up sharply from the kitchen table and moved towards the door. Duncan met her half way, rushing at his sister and throwing his arms around her, hugging her tight.

Returning his embrace, Veronica had a worried expression on her face as she leant her head on her brother’s shoulder. Whether this was a joyful hug or one he needed for comfort’s sake, she couldn’t make out at all, and even if she could, Veronica wondered if that would make the result from the doctor truly clear.

“Duncan,” she said after a long moment, unable to wait any longer for the news and his reaction to it. “Is Meg...?”

“She’s not pregnant,” he said as he pulled away and looked down at his twin with tears in his eyes. “She’s not pregnant, Veronica,” he repeated, looking oddly emotional, Veronica really wasn’t sure which way to take the news.

“And that’s... good news?” she ventured, knowing her parents would think so and that life would be a whole lot simpler if that was the case.

“Yeah, yes, it should be,” Duncan rambled a little, turning his face away as he wiped a stray tear from his cheek. “God, why am I being such a girl about this?!” he complained.

“You’re not,” Veronica assured him, putting a hand to his arm. “A part of you... Did you want her to be pregnant?” she checked, finding it odd and yet not so much in another way.

Duncan loved Meg, she was sure of it, as certain as she was that the feeling was mutual. As incovienent as a child between them would be at so young an age, it also all seemed kind of beautiful in another odd sort of way. To find out you were going to be a parent, and then have that snatched away a moment later, it must feel very strange, Veronica thought.

“No, I... I don’t know,” her brother considered, as the pair moved over to the table and sat down together on the two nearest chairs. “I know... I know it would’ve been hard and awkward, and our lives would’ve been so difficult but it... it was almost nice, thinking about raising a baby with Meg.” He smiled slightly at the thought as Veronica did the same.

“Maybe one day you will,” she said kindly, squeezing his hand where it lay on the table. “One day when you’re both ready for it, when you have your education and a job and a house-”

“I don’t know.” Duncan shook his head at the fairytale picture Veronica painted. “Right now, Mom and Dad don’t even want me to see Meg anymore, and the Mannings are worse,” he said sadly. “I love her, Veronica. I don’t want to lose her over this,” he said desperately as Veronica moved to hug him again.

“I’m sure you won’t,” she told him. “Everybody will calm down soon, our parents and Meg’s too, it’ll be okay,” she promised, holding onto him. “And hey, even if they’re never on your side,” she said, making him look at her. “I always will be,” she swore with a smile.

“Thanks, Veronica,” he said gratefully, finding a smile of his own at that point. “It means a lot.”

“Hey, what are twin sisters for?” she shrugged, secretly glad to know that at least this ordeal was over for now.

* * *

“So, Meg isn’t...?” Logan checked, mindful of his words just in case anybody overheard his lunch-table conversation with his girlfriend.

“Apparently not,” Veronica agreed. “Which has to be a good thing, but-” she started, only to be interrupted as Lilly came storming over, crashing her tray of food onto the table between her sister and Logan, and pushing herself onto the bench there too.

“Well, hello, Lilly,” he said, not entirely please by the interruption and the shoving, though a little amused at the girl’s apparent lack of thought for anyone else’s conversation or feelings.

“Oh my God, Weevil is being such a pain in my butt,” she declared. “Sometimes I wonder why I ever risked my social standing for the guy.”

“I think I remember you saying it had something to do with his muscles and the... bedroom fun,” Veronica said, as tactfully as she could, not entirely loving the fact she was even mentioning sex in front of Logan right now.

They hadn’t really got that far along in their relationship yet, and she wasn’t ready for that conversation right now, especially not in school with her sister sat between them.

“Oh, yeah.” Lilly sighed as she recalled each and every little thing she did love about Eli Navarro, some way more shallow than others but each just as important as the one before. “But does he have to spaz everytime I mention another guy’s name?” she asked rhetorically, picking at her salad a moment then abandoning it completely in disgust.

“I’m sure it’ll work out, Lil,” Veronica said kindly, ever mindful that she perhaps hadn’t been paying her sister quite as much attention as she ought to have been lately. “Things could be worse.”

“Yeah,” she said definitely, and not at all quietly as she continued. “I could’ve got knocked up like Meg!” she declared just as Mac and Dick arrived at the table.

“What?” the brunette gasped as she took a seat opposite Veronica and her boyfriend joined her.

“Dude, Duncan and Meg got jiggy already?” Dick said none to tactfully. “Man, I didn’t know the guy had it in him, or actually that he had it in her,” he said crudely, earning a smack in the chest from his clearly P.O.ed girlfriend. “Sorry, honey,” he apologised immediately, as Logan smirked at the way Mac kept her man in line.

“Whatever Duncan and Meg have done, she is not pregnant,” Veronica said firmly. “And Lilly knows that,” she said, giving her sister a pointed look and earning an eye roll from the older girl, apparently a little peeved at having her fun removed from the conversation.

“Like it’s a big deal anyway,” she declared. “I mean, yeah, the whole baby thing would be, but so what if they’re having sex? So long as they remember to be careful next time.” She shrugged.

“Could we maybe change the subject now please?” Mac said awkwardly, really wishing she hadn’t decided to join her friends for lunch today, especially with Lilly present at the table.

“Ooh, somebody’s a little prudish,” Lilly laughed. “What’s the matter, Cindy? Dick didn’t pop your cherry yet.”

“Come on, Lil,” Logan interjected, not loving the way she was making everybody feel uncomfortable with her particular brand of non-tact. “Just because your big night was a million years ago, don’t mess with the girls that want to hold onto some dignity,” he said evenly, putting her nose out of joint somewhat, and yet the elder Kane wouldn’t let him see what he’d done, how he’d hit a nerve.

“Fine, have your little virgin party,” she said, getting to her feet. “This is boring me now,” she declared, as she walked away with her nose in the air.

“You shouldn’t have said that,” Veronica told her boyfriend seriously though a smile broke through soon enough, “but honestly, I’m kind of glad you did. Sometimes Lilly can be... a little too Lilly,” she apologised to her friends, Mac in particular who looked thoroughly embarrassed, her appetite for lunch clearly gone at this point.

Dick had barely noticed it seemed, until Veronica and Logan both caught his eye and averted his attention from his own food to his girlfriend who was quite obviously feeling bad. She had no reason to really, it was no-ones choice but hers when she crossed the line with Dick or anyone else for that matter, and she ought to get much more respect for not hopping into bed with the first guy that looked her way than behaving the way Lilly did.

“Hey, I’m totally cool with things the way they are right now,” Dick assured Mac, when he finally got the message from his friends severe looks that he was supposed to be saying something reassuring. “Macking on my Mac works for me, the other stuff is like, whatever, man,” he said, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him as he kissed the top of her head.

“Wow, he actually can be sweet sometimes,” Veronica exclaimed with over-zealous shock as Logan stifled a laugh.

“He really can,” Mac agreed definitely, as the couple kissed.

* * *

“Veronica,” Ms Dent said, catching her attention from her empty laptop screen - she really had been away with the fairies today, and though the journalism teacher didn’t know what her best student’s problem might be and didn’t really like to pry, she hoped the project she was about to give her might take her mind off anything that was troubling her for a while. “This is Ms Bugby, and I was hoping you could help her out with organising some photographs from the old school year books for a display”

“Sure, Ms Dent, no problem.” Veronica smiled, having been oblivious to the world until a minute ago, her mind overly distracted by thoughts of her family and all that had happened over the past few days.

She zoned out again almost immediately as Ms Bugby took a seat beside her and began flipping pages, pointing out photos and telling random stories about them as the pages of the booked were scanned on automatic by Veronica.

“Oh, look at them, they were just so happy.” She sighed as the image appeared on the screen and Veronica’s eyes went wide at the realisation that the young man in the picture before her was none other than her own father, Jake Kane.

“That’s my dad,” she said, not really meaning to let her thoughts be spoken aloud, but it was too late now.

“Oh, you’re Jake Kane’s daughter?” Ms Bugby enthused. “Oh, how wonderful. You know he and Lianne, they were so in love, we all thought they’d end up together, and even after they were married off to other people there were rumours that... oh, well, talk is cheap you know.” She laughed nervously when she realised who she was speaking too.

Veronica’s expression was far from impressed as she realised what this woman had been implying. Surely her father and Lianne Mars hadn’t had an affair after they were married, it just couldn’t be true, and yet it would answer a lot of questions that had been spinning in Veronica’s head for a while now, she realised, as Ms Bugby excused herself to use the bathroom.

Staring at the picture before her on the computer screen, Veronica thought seriously about what this could mean. If her father had been seeing Lianne even after he married her Mom, and she married the Sherriff, it would certainly explain why neither family was keen to talk about the other, but it wouldn’t explain what it all had to do with Veronica herself unless...

The blonde stared at the woman in the picture, Lianne Mars before she bore that last name. Younger and prettier than Veronica had ever seen the woman look, she was stunned to realise that there were certain features mirrored from her own face. Shock registered in her brain as a large number of pieces all clicked into place, leaving one resounding question overpowering all other thoughts in Veronica’s head.

Could it really be that she was in fact not the daughter of Jake and Celeste, but of Jake and Lianne?


	25. Chapter 25

_Okay, lets start by establishing some facts. My name is Veronica Kane, I was born on the 15th April 1988 along with my twin brother Duncan Kane. Its right there on my birth certificate that my parents are Jake and Celeste Kane, the same two people I have known as Dad and Mom these past sixteen and a half years. Of course, fact and fiction sometimes get a little mixed up, and birth certificates contain only information given by the people who register the child. It’s perfectly possibly for anybody to take a baby to the registrars office and say they are the parent._

_If that’s true of the record for my own birth, that means I’m calling Jake and Celeste liars when they claim to be my parents, and that’s a frightening concept. Surely if I were the product of an illicit liaison between the man I always knew as my father and Lianne Mars, that would mean Duncan had to be too. We are twins after all, at least that’s what we grew up as and I never had reason to question it. Sure we don’t look alike at all, but neither of us look particularly like Lilly either, and besides nowhere is it written that fraternal twins should look anything like each other._

_I was hoping that the more I thought this ridiculous theory over, the more I would realise how incredibly stupid it was, but instead I’m finding more and more evidence to make me believe that I really might not be who I always thought I was. It would explain so many things. Why Celeste never seemed to treat me quite the same, why Jake made extra efforts, and why I never really feel like I fit here at home. It would explain why Duncan and I are so very different for twins, why he has his medical condition and I’m perfectly healthy. It would answer a hundred and one questions that have played on my mind for months, some even for years, and yet, I can’t quite let myself believe that my whole life has been a lie - because then what do I really have?_

_The people who surround me would all be liars, co-conspirators in a huge plan to dupe me and all those that know us..._

“Hey, V, what’s up?” Lilly asked as she burst into her little sisters bedroom. “I was thinking, could I maybe borrow that cute little shirt I saw you wearing the other day?” she asked, not waiting for an answer as she began rifling through Veronica’s closet without a care.

“Sure,” the young blonde answered vaguely as she stared at her sisters back. “Lil, what do you remember about when I was born?” she asked, causing an odd look from her.

“That you were a pain in the butt and wouldn’t stop crying for like ever?” she said with a smirk, regretting her possibly too harsh words when Veronica didn’t laugh at the joke. “I dunno, Veronica, I guess you and Donut were kind of a pain at first, y’know, cos I was still little and getting zero attention from Mommy and Daddy Dearest,” she said, rolling her eyes as she came to sit beside her sister on the bed, “but you guys grew on me, I got to like being big sister,” she grinned. “taking care of you babies,” she said, throwing an arm around Veronica’s shoulders and hugging her briefly.

“You’re only one year older, Lil,” She pointed out with an eyeroll, before focusing on a more importan fact. “I cried a lot?”

“Yeah,” Lilly confirmed with a nod. “A very lot.” she declared. “But y’know, that’s just what kids do.” She shrugged. “Why the sudden interest in what you were like as a brat?” she asked as she headed back to the clothes she’d been sorting through before, trying to hunt down the particular item she wanted to swipe.

“No reason,” Veronica lied, deciding right now was not the time to get into this, and Lilly wasn’t the right person to lay all this on either, not yet. “Which shirt were you looking for?” she asked, changing the subject to something normal, before she went crazy wondering about the other things on her mind.

“You know that cute little stripy thing you had on the other day?” Lilly said with a vague gesture that didn’t help much.

“Um, this one?” Veronica guessed, pulling out the item she thought he sister wanted. “Lilly, it’s not going to fit you. Everything’s just going to... spill out,” she said with a look down at the ample chest her sister had in comparison to her own relatively flat one.

“Why do you think I want to borrow it?” Lilly winked as she picked the top out of her sisters hand and flounced out of the door with it, calling a vague ‘thanks’ over her shoulder as she went.

Veronica smiled as her sister disappeared from sight. One thing was for sure, whether her family really was her own or not, she did love her older sister, no matter how questionable her attitude was sometimes.

* * *

“Well, hello, beautiful,” Logan was quite obviously grinning as he took the call from his girlfriend and Veronica loved that he could be so happy just to hear from her. “What did I do to deserve the honour of a call today?” he asked jokingly, though the blonde on the other end of the line wasn’t so much in a joking mood.

“I just... I wanted to talk to you is all,” she said, flopping back against the pillows on her bed. “Find out what’s going on in your world today,” she said vaguely.

“Not much,” Logan admitted, the phone propped under his chin as he shot the latest alien race in his new video game. “To be honest, it’s all pretty boring at Casa de Echolls,” he told her. “I’m the only one home, not counting the help, and Dick was too busy with Mac to come over and play.”

When she neither responded to his words or his joke, Logan became a little worried and immediately but the games console down, holding the phone properly to his ear.

“Veronica?” he said, concern evident in his tone. “Are you okay?”

“Honestly? Not so much,” she admitted with a sigh as she closed her eyes tight against the world, not sure what exactly she was trying to block out, but not succeeding anyway.

“You want me to come over?” Logan offered immediately. “I can be there in minutes,” he said, already getting up from his bed and looking around for something to put on his feet in a shoe-type of way.

“Actually,” Veronica said in his ear. “Would it be okay if I came to you?” she asked him, as she heard Lilly’s radio get turned up a few notches and Jake yelled for her to keep the noise down whilst he was working.

She and Logan couldn’t talk about the things she wanted to discuss here anyway, and besides, her alone in her bedroom with a boy would spark parental concern and sibling jibes that she could well do without.

“Sure,” Logan agreed immediately. “Veronica, you know you can come over whenever you want.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” she said with her first genuine smile of the day as she hopped off her bed and got her things together, just the second she ended her call to her boyfriend.

Veronica wasn’t sure what she was going to achieve by running away to the Echolls house and telling Logan of her latest family issue, but it certainly couldn’t make anything worse. Right now she was imagining all kinds of potentially crazy theories. She needed to share them, if only so someone else outside of the loop could tell her if they too thought she was nuts for suspecting that one of her parents might not be her flesh and blood at all.

Hurrying from her room and out to her car, Veronica succeeded in not seeing any member of her family. She yelled a vague ‘going out, be back for dinner’ type message to the nearest maid, sure it would get passed on at some point and only glad she hadn’t had to face her parents or siblings right now.

It wasn’t as if her family were so awful or unapproachable, though Celeste did tend to do the ice queen routine a little too well sometimes. Most things Veronica found she could talk to her Dad about, but where her parentage was concerned, she decided Jake was not the way to go. As for her brother and sister, well, they both had problems of their own, with their love lives in disarray as they were, Meg’s pregnancy scare still looming over them all, and Lilly’s issues with Weevil’s jealousy. Besides, Duncan’s usual reaction to any big news was to stand idly by and pretend it wasn’t there or wasn’t happening, whilst Lilly would go to the other extreme and make such a huge deal it was unbearable.

No, Veronica was sure by the time she reached the Echolls house that she had definitely made the right decision in coming here to talk her worries over with her boyfriend. Though they’d known each other a relatively short time, and Veronica knew she should be wary after the whole Troy debacle, she’d fast come to trust Logan Echolls so implicitly, and she loved him like she never knew she could love anyone. This was why she smiled genuinely, in spite of her inner turmoil, when Logan met her on the driveway, clearly both concerned for what might be wrong and eager to see her.

“Hey, you.” He smiled as she got out of her car and came over to him.

“Hey,” she replied in kind as she kissed him. “Thanks for letting me come over,” she said as they went inside with their arms still around each other backs.

“Like I’d ever say no when you need me.” Logan rolled his eyes as they headed through the house towards him room, the safest place for a private conversation, away from the prying eyes and ears of the staff.

They were both a little startled to run across Logan’s father, Aaron, before they got as far as their sanctuary.

“Dad,” Logan reacted with evident surprise. “I thought you were out with Mom.” He frowned slightly, since he was sure the house was empty save for himself and the help.

“I was,” Aaron agreed. “but she and Trina decided to do a little shopping and I could think of better things to do than carry bags,” he said with a smiled, mostly at Veronica which unnerved her somewhat, not the grin itself but the almost-leer behind it. “I’ll be out of your hair in just a minute, leave you two lovebirds alone.”

“Thanks, Pops.” Logan nodded once, obviously feeling awkward between Daddy Dearest and his girlfriend.

“Y’know, Veronica, you are all I’ve heard about lately,” Aaron told her, turning back before he’d quite walked away, shooting a wink at the pair of them before calling. “Have fun, kids,” over his shoulder and disappearing from view.

“That was a complete lie,” Logan said quickly. “Not that I wouldn’t want to talk about you, obviously,” he said when Veronica shot him a look, “but the day I discuss my love life with him is the day Satan skates to work.” He rolled his eyes as they continued on up the stairs and Logan led Veronica by the hand into his room.

The fact that when the two sat down it was on a bed was not lost on either of them, mostly Veronica who on top of all the deep thinking she’d been doing about her parentage was now reminded of the mess Duncan and Meg had almost gotten into recently. Of course, she was over here to talk with Logan, nothing else, but that didn’t stop the thought occurring. She doubted very much that he was so oblivious the thought hadn’t crossed his mind either. When she glanced his way, he smiled.

“Veronica, I’m not going to jump on you,” he told her, slightly amused by the fact she might think he would. “I mean, I would, if you asked me too, but-”

“Not right now, thanks.” She smiled back, letting the joke happen if only to break the tension.

Of course, the brief moment of mild hilarity was just that, brief, as Veronica’s mind wandered back to why she was here.

“Logan,” she began, not even looking at him as she asked her question. “Do you ever feel like you just don’t belong?” she wanted to know.

“Yeah, I guess, sometimes,” he said vaguely, not really sure how best to answer. “Doesn’t everybody?” he said with a shrug.

“I don’t mean...” she tried again to explain, but only served to upset herself.

“What is it, Veronica?” Logan asked her, putting his hand over hers between them on the bed as tears came into her eyes. “Something’s been wrong for a while now, I wish you’d just tell me what it is, so I can help you fix it.”

“How are you going to fix my parents lying to me?” she asked desperately, fighting the urge to bawl on him again. “Logan, my dad had an affair, and I think I came out of it.”

“What?” he gasped, looking appropriately stunned. “You and Duncan are-?”

“No.” She interrupted. “Just me. I don’t think we’re twins, I... I don’t know what I am anymore,” she said, bursting into tears then, unable to hold it in any longer as Logan pulled her close to him, her head resting on his shoulder as she sobbed into his shirt.

Logan’s mind raced at a mile a minute. Now he could see why Veronica was so upset, why she’d been distant and moody lately. If what she said was true, her whole identity was in question. Though she was likely still a Kane by her father, her mother could be another person altogether, not the woman who had raised her. Her brother and sister would only be half-siblings, and she was no longer the twin she believed herself to be. It seemed crazy to think it might be true, but Veronica must have some pretty serious reason to believe it.

It was equally shocking to Logan that Jake Kane was the type to cheat. He knew his own father to be far from faithful to his Mom, and she knew it too. Logan was at least grateful that if one of Veronica’s parents had strayed it was her Dad. He would be worried otherwise that she could just as easily be his half-sister as anyones, given Aaron’s reputation! As it was Jake had been the one to do wrong it seemed, but that led to another question.

“Do you know who your mother... who your dad cheated with?” Logan amended the question for fear of upsetting Veronica even more.

“Lianne Mars,” she sniffed. “Sheriff Mars ex-wife,” she explained, since of course Logan hadn’t been around to meet the woman before.

“Wow,” was all he could say to that, what else was there to say really?

“I’m so sorry, Logan,” Veronica said then, pulling her head up from his shoulder and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’ve been such a lousy girlfriend, all I do lately is pile my problems on you and cry all over you,” she said sadly, hating that what ought to be some carefree happy relationship was turning bad already.

Logan had fought so hard to get her to date him. Now they were together, and Veronica felt like she was denying him the prize he’d worked so hard to win. She ought to be a better girlfriend, but things in her life were such a mess right now, she was just overwhelmed by too much other stuff.

“Hey,” Logan said, putting a hand to her face and making her look at him. “You’re not a lousy girlfriend,” he told her definitely, so close their foreheads touched. “You’re everything to me, Veronica,” he swore. “And the best girlfriend I could ever ask for, because I never loved anybody like I love you,” he said softly, almost feeling silly for making such a speech and yet so proud to have earned even the watery smile she managed to send his way.

“I love you,” she echoed his words, leaning in closer and putting her lips to his.

It felt good to kiss him and receive such affection back. He loved her, she loved him, and Veronica felt so safe as his arms wrapped around her body, holding her tight. The kiss soon deepened, tongues doing battle in the best way, as the pair fell back onto the bed in a tangle of limbs, passion and want over-taking them to the point where both of them were soon lost in the whole emotional surge.

As fingers found fasteners and clothes began to become undone, it was Veronica who came out of her love-induced stupor first. This wasn’t right, as much as they loved each other, this couldn’t be right. She couldn’t use Logan to feel better about her crappy mixed-up life, and she didn’t want her first time to be like this. Besides, it was unplanned moments of lust that led to accidents, like that which Meg and Duncan had very nearly had.

“Logan,” she gasped in air as she pulled away from him. “I can’t,” she said, pulling herself out of his arms and up to a sitting position once again, pulling her half-undone shirt around her body.

It took her boyfriend a moment to get his bearings and all, as she apologised at least six times for messing him around. It was when she got up to leave that Logan really came back to reality and reached out a hand to her arm.

“Veronica, wait,” he said, glad when she did as he asked. “Hey, come on, you don’t have to leave,” he told her. “I’m not going to pretend I’m not disappointed, but I can wait,” he promised her and the look in his eyes told her he meant every word.

“What did I do to deserve you?” she asked tearfully, as he stood up and pulled her into his arms.

“Obviously something diabolical,” he joked, glad to hear even the choked laughter she offered him as she stood there in the circle of his arms, not wanting to be anywhere else right now.


	26. Chapter 26

Veronica felt better for crying, which seemed odd but then it was common knowledge that bottling up feelings of sadness and anger could lead to badness. It was better to talk things through and cry things out, it did help, as crazy as it sounded and Veronica was only glad to have Logan who she could share all this with. She didn’t know what she’d ever done to deserve such an understanding boyfriend, but she was glad she had him all the same. She’d only let him get past second base once, just a few minutes ago, when she’d come to her senses just before anything major happened. Veronica felt bad for that too, though she knew in the big picture she’d made the right decision. She failed to see what Logan was getting out of a relationship where he wasn’t getting any and yet had to deal with her crying and mood swings almost every day. All the family problems she was having were driving her crazy, they couldn’t be doing much for him, and yet he maintained that he loved her and would be there for her no matter what.

Veronica decided, as she sat there on the end of her boyfriends bed, thinking about the whole situation, that she would just be grateful to have Logan whilst she could keep a hold of him. Waiting for him to dump her, expecting the worst to happen, that wasn’t going to help. Even the things she’d thought were okay were starting to fall down around her ears, clearly nothing in life, not even parentage, was completely guaranteed. With this in mind, Veronica made a definite decision not to worry too much about the state of her relationship with Logan right now. Whilst he wanted to stick with her, she shouldn’t fight it, since being with her boyfriend was the one thing that did make sense and was able to make her happy right now.

Looking towards the bedroom door, Veronica smiled as Logan returned to her at last, a can of soda in each hand.

“It took so long to find anything in the fridge that wasn’t diet or lite.” He rolled his eyes. “My mom and Trina both continue to diet despite the fact they have two of the most envied figures in the magazines.” He sighed as he sat down beside his girlfriend and handed her a can. “I honestly don’t get it,” he said popping the top of his own drink and putting it to his lips.

“Me either,” Veronica agreed, glad to talk about anything else for a while. “My mom and Lilly are the same. They freak if they gain half a pound, but I...”

“But you?” Logan prompted when she stopped suddenly, staring down into her can of soda for a long moment.

“I was going to say I’m different,” she said with a sad smile, “because no matter what I eat I don’t seem to gain weight anyway,” she explained. “I guess I know now why I’m so different,” she said, hiding her sadness in her drink as she swallowed down half the can, Logan thought, from the way she just kept swallowing.

“You do know you can’t get drunk on Coke, right?” he checked, not sure whether he meant for it to come out as a joke or not.

“I know.” Veronica sighed, putting the can down and wiping her lips with the back of her hand. “But if I get sugar-high, maybe it’ll stop me crying all over you?” she said, attempting a smile, but it didn’t quite come out right.

“Come on, Veronica.” He sighed, putting down his own drink and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Talk to me,” he urged her. “I want to help.”

“I wish you could,” she said softly, letting her head fall onto his shoulder. “I mean, I don’t even know if my theory is right, but the more I think about it, the more it adds up,” she said, as she began to explain what she meant. “If it’s true, then my dad has cheated on my mom, they’re both liars, Duncan and Lilly aren’t my real brother and sister, my real mother is an absent drunk, and I’m pretty much a whole different person to what I thought.” She shook her head, almost unable to take in her own words at this point, the whole thing just seemed so crazy.

“Hey,” Logan said, hugging her close. “I can promise you one thing,” he told her, kissing the top of her head, and then smiling when she moved to look up at him. “No matter what, you will always have me,” he swore, much to Veronica’s apparent delight as she reached up and kissed his lips.

“You don’t know how much that means right now,” she said seriously, as her life spiralled out of control all around her. “I mean, when you can’t even trust your own parents-” she said sadly, until Logan cut in.

“I know they did wrong, Veronica, but you gotta remember, nobody’s parents are perfect.” He shook his head, as he picked up his drink and took a sip. “I know mine aren’t. Not even close.”

“What do you mean?” his girlfriend check, frowning hard.

Sure, what he said was true. No person could be perfect, be they parent, child, partner, or whatever. She wasn’t stunned to hear that his parents were any more or less ideal than her own, but there was something in his tone and the look on his face that suggested he had some specifics in mind. His mother, his father, maybe both, they’d done wrong, the big kind of wrong, and Veronica couldn’t help but wonder if it was Logan who wound up getting hurt the most by their crimes, whatever they were.

“I don’t know,” he lied, concentrating too much on balancing his can back where it came from. “Just that if my dad turned out not to be my dad, I don’t think I’d be too bummed about it,” he admitted, glancing back at Veronica, seeing from the look on her face that she wasn’t yet satisfied with his answer.

It was a weird thing for a person to say without giving a reason, and Logan knew it. For someone to wish one of their parents didn’t have that title, there should be a big ‘because’ that followed, only he wasn’t sure he should or could get into that right now. It was crazy, since Veronica had pretty much told him all her biggest, deepest, and darkest secrets. He would tell her all of his willingly, except this one right now. He just wasn’t in the right place yet.

“He cheats on my mom, y’know?” he said, hoping Veronica would take that as reason enough for now.

The look on her face suggested she thought there was more to it than that, and of course she was right, but that was a conversation for another time. Right now, there had been enough sadness and tears. There was little they could do to actually solve the problems in Veronica’s world right now, so Logan decided a good change of subject would be to make an attempt to cheer her up.

“So,” he said, clapping his hands together to emphasise the word as he got to his feet. “How about we go crazy, raid the kitchen, and watch some pay per view chick flick that you girls love so much?” he offered with a smile.

As depressed as Veronica could easily allow herself to be given all that was going on, she found Logan’s grin infectious, to the point where her expression soon mirrored his own. It would be nice to just blow off steam, enjoy herself for a few hours and forget that her world could potentially fall apart if her worries and wonders were proved to be true.

“I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard in a long time,” she told her boyfriend as she grabbed the hand he offered and allowed him to haul her to her feet.

She was pulled up with such force she collided with Logan’s side, causing them both to laugh, something that was both a welcome sound and feeling for the pair as they shared a kiss then headed off to the kitchen hand in hand.

“Okay, since I hardly ever do this, I have no idea what we have...” Logan realised as he started opening random cupboards doors, then decided the freezer might be a good place to hunt for comfort food - didn’t girls like ice-cream when they were sad?

Veronica wasn’t really paying attention to what Logan was doing as she realised the bottle of fruit drink she’d found required a bottle opener and so opened up the nearest drawer to look for one. Underneath a whole mass of cutlery, utensils, and more, Veronica frowned when she spotted a pile of papers. The back of a kitchen drawer seemed like a weird place to keep... receipts from the honeymoon suite at the Neptune Grand?

“So, in the ice-cream stakes, I have double chocolate brownie, rocky road, or... hmm, cookie dough,” Logan said with a smile as he turned from the freezer to look at his gifrliend.

“Oh, um, chocolate is always good,” Veronica replied when she realised he was talking to her again.

She stuffed the receipts back into the drawer without a word, after all, they were none of her business. It was unlikely they had anything to do with Logan, or he wouldn’t have let her go digging around where she might see them. Of course, he had said that his Dad was prone to affairs, they might well be his. Whether Logan knew about this particular stash of evidence or not was nothing to do with Veronica. She had enough problems with her own family issues, there was no use in starting trouble for the Echolls, especially when she and Logan had just decided to have a fun afternoon.

Quickly locating the item she needed, Veronica grabbed up the bottle from the counter as well as a large bag of chips, as her boyfriend came over with two tubs of ice-cream and spoons, and a smile on his face.

“So, who’s the flavour of the month these days?” he asked as he slung an arm over her shoulders. “The High School Musical guy or the British wizard dude?” he checked, making Veronica laugh out loud, as was his sole intention.

* * *

“We could swing by Logan’s place, see if him and Ronnie wanna come out and play?” Dick suggested as he and Mac left the movie theatre, his arm around her shoulders.

“I guess we could,” she agreed with half-hearted enthusiasm, “but I was kind of hoping it would be just you and me today, y’know?” she said with a sideways glance, making herself blush though she made every effort not to do so.

“Oh, I am all about the alone time, babe,” her boyfriend told her, making his point very clear as he leaned down, putting his lips to her and kissing her thoroughly.

“I so never get bored of that,” Mac told him giddily as they got to his car and he opened the door for her.

They got in the car and buckled up, just as Dick’s cell started to ring. He cursed as he dropped it in the foot well of the car and made a big fuss about finding it and picking it up. The cursing started over when he realised the caller had stopped ringing just the second he’d got the damn thing in his hand.

As he pushed buttons to find out who had been calling and if it were important, Mac completely zoned-out, not hearing a word of what her boyfriend was saying as she stared out through the windshield at a familiar girl exiting the Neptune Grand.

“Lilly?” she thought aloud, finding it strange that the girl was coming out of a hotel like that in the middle of the afternoon.

“Huh?” was Dick’s less than intelligent answer as he realised Mac had said something and followed her line of sight. “What’s the big deal?” he asked, looking as dumb as he often proved himself to be.

“I only know one reason why people visit hotels in the middle of the day in their home town, Dick,” Mac said pointedly. “And it’s not to steal the soaps.”

“Oh, right.” He nodded, a grin taking over his face. “So, what? Lilly’s been making it with... whoever.” He shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“It matters if she’s cheating on Weevil,” Mac said firmly. “And I really don’t think he’s the type who could afford the prices at that hotel, or would want to go there.”

“You’d be surprised what a guy will do to get some, Macster,” Dick told her with a laugh as he re-fastened his seat-belt and started up the car.

As much as Mac loved this guy, he could be a real ass sometimes. If not for the fact she needed a ride home, she’d have gotten out the car right now and started walking. Weevil might have seemed like a big scary guy before, but she knew better now. He was a decent person and he didn’t deserve to be cheated on by Lilly Kane. Not that there was any proof that she was yet, but it might be worthwhile mentioning something to Veronica, Mac thought, just in case.


	27. Chapter 27

_I didn't really want to leave Logan's place, but I had to come home eventually. Lilly was in the living room when I came through and made some comments about my being over there so long. She meant it as a joke and I took it as one, even though I'm not really in a laughing mood. She seems happier today than I've seen her in a while, which is a good thing. Maybe things between her and Weevil are improving? I didn't ask, because to be honest I think I'd feel awkward right now. She already asked me why I was staring at her so hard. How could I tell her it’s because I was trying to figure out how we weren't sisters? As annoying as she could be, she was always my big sister. Now it might turn out that we're only half-siblings and that seems wrong somehow, unless Celeste isn’t her Mom either... No, that can't be right. It’s only me that’s treated so differently, only me that’s feels different too, at least it seems that way._

_I get a headache just trying to figure out what really happened, and it’s going to keep on bugging me until I find out the whole truth. As far as I can see the only person who can tell me the full story is my Dad. As scary and intimidating as Jake Kane is to the rest of the world, I've always been able to talk to him about things. Now I almost don't want to, for fear of what I might be told. Still, it’s better to hear that the mother who never seemed to care too much for me is not my Mom, than to keep on wondering for the rest of my life._

_At least at Logan's house I had something else to occupy my mind. He was so sweet, I really don't know what I did to deserve him. He drove me home when we realised how late it had got, and promised that no matter what happened he would always be there for me. I believe him, which is crazy, since I'm not exactly making it worth his while to stick around, but I do believe him._

_We watched movies and ate junk all afternoon until I pretty much could've thrown up, but it was fun. He likes to do his own commentary on the movies he's seen so many times before, and in spite of the seriousness of our conversation prior to the movie-fest, he had me in stitches over and over, as we laid out on a bunch of cushions on the floor together. I think I ate my weight in ice-cream and potato chips, but it helped, for a while at least._

_I can't keep hiding out away from home, I know that, however nice it is to be away from here, especially in Logan's arms. He makes me feel better, no matter what’s going on in my life. I can't tell you how grateful I am that he moved to Neptune when he did, and that he has more persuasive skills than I have defensive ones!_

_Anyway, tomorrow morning, I'm going to face my Dad and ask him about this whole thing. I want an answer, I want to hear his version of events, it’s the only way I'm going to move past this. I know it’s not going to be as simple as getting the answer and feeling better, it’s going to cause as many problems as it solves. Duncan isn't my twin, if all this is true, and Lilly is only my half-sister too. Somewhere out there I have a mother who I barely even met. It’s too much for my brain to handle right now, and all that food from before is giving me a stomach ache. I need to go to bed, and hope I can sleep a while._

Veronica shut down her laptop and got herself ready for bed. She sat down on the stool by her vanity table and pulled the clips out of her hair, staring at her reflection. She always thought she looked like Lilly, even like Duncan sometimes. Now she couldn’t see it. All she could see was a fuzzy picture of Lianne Mars.

Turning her face away she went over to her bed and crawled in, her eyes sticking to the framed photograph beside the lamp she reached to turn off. Herself with Duncan and Lilly, grinning and laughing, a happy family. She smiled sadly at the image before turning out the light and settling down to try and get some sleep.

* * *

Though it was Sunday, Veronica was awake ridiculously early and eager to get out of bed. Truth be told she was actually conflicted on the getting up part, since it would lead to both good and bad consequences. Getting out of bed meant putting into motion her plan of talking to her Dad about her true parentage and her doubts about the same. She would get answers and that would put her mind at rest, but the problems that would be borne out of this particular confrontation could only be big and bad.

Still, it had to be done, and knowing Jake would most likely already be up and working in his study, Veronica pulled herself out of bed with a view to getting washed and dressed, and facing up to her father as soon as possible. It would be preferable to get this over with whilst the house was relatively quiet. Neither Lilly nor Duncan would be up this early, and Celeste would most likely be busy elsewhere in the house or out with the other 09er mothers, enjoying brunch or similar.

Now dressed and ready, Veronica headed down the stairs and along the hall to her father’s office. Never in her life had she felt so nervous about talking to him about anything as she raised her fist to tap on the door and let herself inside immediately.

“Hey, Dad.” She smiled nervously as he turned to look at her.

“Hello, sweetheart,” he greeted her with a warm smile. “Did you need me for something?” he checked, and Veronica nodded as she came inside, closing the door behind her.

“I actually need to talk to you, about something serious,” she said, her smile fading as she realised this was it, she had to do this.

“Whatever it is, Veronica, I’m sure we can work it out,” he told her as he got up and moved over to the couch at the side of the room, gesturing for her to come sit beside him, which she did.

“I don’t know how easy it’s going to be to work out,” she admitted, her eyes trained on her own hands which fidgeted in her lap. “See, I... I was helping out with a display at school, about past students of Neptune High,” she explained from the best beginning she could find. “There was a picture of you as Prom King and your queen... Lianne Mars.”

Jake’s expression immediately shifted from caring and fatherly to cold as ice, though he attempted to smile through it.

“Well, you know, Veronica, both your mother and I dated other people before we were married,” he said, trying to make light of the whole thing, which only made Veronica more convinced he was hiding something from her.

“I know that.” She nodded, glancing up at him. “But there are other things, something I overheard you and Mom saying about the Sheriff, and I’ve never felt like... like I really fit here...” she said, tears coming to her eyes as she got upset.

“Veronica, what on Earth are you trying to imply?” Jake asked her, his tone somewhere between angry and upset, which only made his daughter cry harder as she finally spat out the words that mattered.

“Is Celeste really my mother, or is it Lianne Mars?” she asked desperately, tears streaming from her eyes and practically begging for the truth that every child deserved, no matter how old they were or what background they came from.

Jake stared at her a moment, his expression unreadable. He took in her pleading eyes and tear-stained cheeks and could not bear to see it. Getting up from the couch, he turned his back on her, eyes going heavenward as he realised that one more lie on top of all the others would only make this worse.

“I’m sorry,” he said, as he looked at her once again. “Veronica, it was supposed to make things better, ensure your happiness and-”

“Oh my God,” she cried as her fears were confirmed.

She really didn’t belong with this family. Her life was a lie. Bit by bit the world she knew fell apart around her, and Veronica cried like she never knew she was able. Jake felt as bad as she did as he watched the devastation tear her apart. Falling to his knees before her, tears in his own eyes, he attempted to comfort her. She allowed his arms around her, if only because she needed some solace, the source wasn’t important right now.

Veronica cried all over her father, a million thoughts and questions filling her head but none clear or coherent enough to make it out of her mouth. Instead she just let out too much emotion that had been held in too long, until no more tears would come.

“I am so very sorry, Veronica,” Jake told her as he pushed her hair out of her face, and wiped tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “You weren’t supposed to find out, especially not like this,” he told her, only hoping she would forgive him and Celeste both for what they’d done - it was supposed to be the right thing for everybody.

“I don’t even know who I am anymore,” Veronica said in a small voice that she barely recognised as her own.

“You are my beautiful angel,” her father assured her, running his hand through her long blonde hair. “You know you remind me so much of your mother,” he said with a smile that only made Veronica more upset and angry if it were possible.

These were not words she wanted to hear. She didn’t want to know that her family was not her own, and certainly didn’t want to realise she looked more like the mother she’d barely met than anyone else. It was painful, and suddenly all this seemed to be her fathers fault. After all, he was the one who had the affair, he was the one who’d started all these lies she’d been told. Veronica couldn’t stand to look at him right now, her sadness turning to anger as she shot up from her seat almost knocking Jake on his ass.

“No,” was all she could to say as she shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes just so she could see straight enough to pelt towards the door. “I don’t know you anymore!” she declared too loudly as she tore open the door and ran.

“Veronica!” Jake bellowed after her but knew giving chase would be fruitless.

He had just brought her world crashing down around her, the very last thing he’d wanted to do, but then she did deserve the truth. Somehow she’d come to realise things were wrong in her life, that she didn’t quite fit, and Jake could happily blame his wife for letting Veronica feel so out of place all these years. Still, the guilt had to land at his door eventually, he realised, putting a hand to his forehead and trying to think what possible damage-control could be done here, before the whole town realised the kind of man Jake Kane really was.

* * *

Logan was bored, completely bored out of his mind in fact. There was very little point having all the world had to offer in the way of easy cash and boy’s toys if you had no-one to share them with. Unfortunately, it was still far too early on a Sunday to calling up his friends. Guys like Dick had never seen the right side of lunchtime unless absolutely necessary, and Logan just couldn’t lie in bed any longer. He considered calling up Veronica but figured he didn’t want to seem desperate. They’d spent most of yesterday together, he might seem a little obsessive and stalkerish if he called her again so very soon.

Just when he thought he was going to crazy from being so bored, Logan heard a commotion at the front door. He couldn’t imagine what the problem was, until he realised the yelling voice he could hear belonged to his girlfriend. She was very upset, that much was obvious, and Logan wasted no time in rushing to her side, ever glad that he’d convinced his parents they could leave for their trip away early this morning despite his sister not being home yet.

He’d convinced his Mom and Dad he was a big boy now and could deal with any problems that arose. Not that he’d expected any, especially not this, he realised, as he arrived at the front door to see a worried maid trying to placate the familiar blonde who looked far from herself.

“Veronica?” Logan said as he told the maid to get lost, and his girlfriend tumbled in through the front door, crying into his chest.

Her floods of tears obviously caught his attention, but perhaps more shocking to realise was the state of her hair. No longer did long blonde locks flow down her back, but had been cut off much shorter and he guessed not professionally.

“Oh my God, Logan, it was true,” she sobbed into his chest. “I’m not... I’m not one of them,” she cried, as her boyfriend fought to decipher her scrambled words and came to realise very quickly what she meant.

Holding on tight to her, he did his best to bring some comfort, though he really didn’t know what to say or do for the best. Eventually he felt he had to ask the one question that was really bugging him.

“Veronica, what happened...?” he started, his hand running over her chopped off hair telling her what he meant long before he asked.

“I did it,” she said, trying to calm down enough to talk properly. “Logan, can I stay here, please?” she asked desperately as she looked up at him.

“Sure,” he agreed, knowing he would allow her anything she wanted, do anything she asked. “As long as you want,” he promised, and at that Veronica at least managed a watery smile.


	28. Chapter 28

When Veronica finally finished her explanation of all that happened, Logan honestly didn’t know what to say to her. Her suspicions had been true, she was not the daughter of Celeste and Jake Kane but of that man and the woman he’d had an affair with, Lianne Mars. It wasn’t so shocking to Logan perhaps, because he knew just what his own father was capable of, the affairs, the lies and deceit. Still, there had never been any scandal in the press or even particular gossip he’d heard about Veronica’s father, until now. If and when the papers got hold of this story, things were only going to get worse for Veronica, and Logan hated to think of the suffering she must endure. At least he could offer some comfort, a place to hide out, as he explained to her his parents would be gone for two weeks so it’d be fine for her to stay at his place just as long as she wanted. 

Veronica wiped her eyes and blew her nose once again. She’d quite tired herself out with all the upset and was so very sick of crying tears upon tears. Her body and mind couldn’t take all this anymore, it had to be over soon for the sake of her sanity and yet she could not see a way for that to happen. Running a hand back through her hair, even Veronica herself was a little startled when it felt so short. She wasn’t sure why she thought cutting her hair off like this would be a good idea, but she just couldn’t bear the thought of being like the mother she never knew. Her father had made her so angry, and in that moment she’d just wanted to hurt him and defy him. Her hair had been her vain attempt to do that.

“I think it looks good,” Logan told her when he noticed her fingers at her hair. “Honestly, Veronica, it looks cute shorter.”

“It might, if it’s done right,” Veronica said, feeling a little stupid, even as Logan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

Sat together on the couch for a while in comfortable silence, it was weirdly therapeutic. It didn’t take long for Veronica to want to talk again, but for a change not about her own problems. In fact, that was the last thing she wanted to focus on right now, and any other conversation was welcome.

“How come your parents left you alone for two weeks?” she said suddenly. “My parents never... that never happens at my house, not for more than one night,” she amended when she realised just what she’d said.

“My sister, Trina, is supposed to arrive tonight, so I won’t be completely alone,” Logan told her. “Although I think I’d like it better if I was,” he considered, making Veronica look up at him awkwardly. “I mean without my sister, not without you,” he told her with a smile that stopped her worrying in an instant. “Alone with you is a good thing,” he said, kissing her softly on the lips, ever mindful of taking advantage of her current state of upset, which was something he would never stoop so low as to do.

“One day I’ll make all this up to you,” she promised him. “When I get my life in some kind of order-”

“Veronica, it’s fine,” he assured her. “I know you’d do the same for me.”

“I would,” she answered immediately, an intense look passing between them that was only broken when her cell phone suddenly started ringing a crazy tune from within her purse on the table. “I really don’t feel like talking to anyone right now.” She sighed, knowing she probably ought to.

Still, she’d been contented for a minute there, just curled up in her boyfriend arms pretending the world had gone away. Apparently that was over for a while at least as Logan moved away from her, reaching for her bag. Just the moment he got hold of it, her cell dropped out, vibrating its way across the table as the display announced that Mac was calling. One look from Veronica confirmed she really couldn’t deal but that he was welcome to, as Logan picked up the phone and accepted the call.

“Hey, Mac,” he greeted her as he got to his feet and walked towards the window, looking out. “Yeah, Veronica’s here, but she can’t talk right now,” he said as he turned and looked back at her. “It’s cool, I’m dealing, it’s just... y’know, not a good time,” he explained awkwardly, knowing that he couldn’t impart the whole story, for one thing it would take hours and for another it was not his place to tell.

“Okay, I’ll tell her. Thanks, Mac,” Logan said eventually, before saying goodbye and hanging up from the call.

“Is she okay?” Veronica checked, her first concern more for her friend than herself as was her way, and one more reason why Logan loved her so much.

“She said she just wanted to say hi.” Logan shrugged as he put the cell back on the coffee table and rejoined her on the couch. “I don’t know, she sounded a little weird,” he admitted, though he sort of wished he hadn’t given Veronica one more thing to worry about.

Still, on the upside, any issues Mac was having were probably less of a big deal than her friends problems right now and as such a better topic to think about. Maybe a change of subject for a while would’ve been a good idea and from that perspective it might perhaps have been better if she’d taken the call herself.

“Poor Mac.” Veronica sighed as Logan put his arm back around her shoulders. “I should be a better friend. She might really need someone right now.”

“She has Dick,” Logan said, wondering if that was really as comforting as it ought to be, especially when Veronica shot him a look that said she didn’t really believe it. “Yeah, okay, maybe not,” he considered, as the blonde smiled.

“He’s not all bad,” Veronica conceded. “You know he can be as sweet as the next guy when he tries, I just wish sometimes he’d try more often for Mac’s sake.”

“I see why he’s into her,” Logan said thoughtfully, leaving it at that, since it was obviously never wise to mention the hotness of another in front of one’s girlfriend, “but as nice a guy as Dick is, why is she with him?”

“There’s no accounting for taste.” Veronica shrugged. “I mean, hey, I’m dating you,” she joked, looking up at him with a wicked smirk.

He ought to be affronted but he knew she was just teasing him and the fact she was making jokes at all made him happy. All the tears she’d shed lately, not least today, a smile was such a welcome sight.

“Okay, now I have to punish you,” he said, and before she had chance to ask or even think about what he meant by the fact his fingers were at her ribs, ticking her mercilessly.

Veronica soon found herself flat on her back on the couch, Logan on top of her making her squeal with fits of laughter that was like music to her boyfriends ears. A few moments hilarity was a welcome distraction that continued as the pair lost their balance, rolling off the couch and onto the floor, and landing between the furniture, thankfully uninjured. Logan was acutely aware of Veronica’s body on top of his as he held her tight and she breathed heavily against him.

“Logan,” she said breathlessly, knowing he was feeling the same intensity she was, and dropping her lips onto his without a thought.

It was perhaps not the most comfortable of places for making out, but the young couple were quite oblivious to their surroundings as they just enjoyed being together for a while. There was no telling quite how far things would’ve gone, but Logan did not get a chance to find out as a knock at the door startled Veronica and she pulled back from him in a second, almost smacking her head on the coffee table in the process.

The pair listened silently to hear who might be at the door. At this range it was almost impossible to tell, though a man’s voice was clearly audible as well as that of the maid.

“That could be my dad,” Veronica said in a panic as he scrambled to her feet and Logan did the same, the pair of them sufficiently sobered up from their romantic interlude by now. “I can’t. Logan, I can’t face him.” She shook her head, pacing back and forth a little as she pushed her T-shirt back into her pants and ran her hands through her hair.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he assured her, his hands going to her shoulders as he stopped her agitated movements. “I’ll go see who it is, and try to get rid of them, okay?” he told her.

Veronica nodded, finding a small smile for the one man she knew she could trust right now. Planting a quick kiss on her forehead, Logan headed out into the hallway, leaving the door ajar. For a moment, his girlfriend sat down on the couch but was soon straight back up again moving towards the door. Curiosity killed the cat, but Veronica couldn’t help herself. Peering around the edge of the door she could see Logan’s back as he stood at the front door, telling the maid it was okay, he could handle it from here. Still she couldn’t see who the visitor was yet, and was very wary of being seen herself.

“Come on, son. You’re not helping by hiding her here,” said the voice of the man which Veronica now recognised as she strained her ears to better hear, and then saw the edge of a uniform around the side of her boyfriend as the two men moved slightly.

“Sheriff,” she said loud enough for him to hear, as she stepped out of her hiding place and walked on over.

“Veronica.” The older man sighed with what seemed like relief more than anything else. “I thought we might find you here.”

“They called you, didn’t they?” she said, mindful of what she said with regards of Jake and Celeste.

Of course, the Sheriff knew the truth about her parents, he had to, but that didn’t mean he knew that she knew. There was no telling exactly what the Kanes had told Keith when they called in the case of their missing daughter, and she’d rather hear from him what he knew before divulging any more secrets.

“They’re worried about you, Veronica,” Keith told her kindly as she leaned into Logan a little, glad of his arm around her. “We’re all worried.”

The look the Sheriff gave her then told Veronica all she needed to know. A glance at Logan confirmed the suspicions she was already almost certain of - he saw that look too.

“You know, don’t you?” she checked with the Sheriff. “You know that I know the truth?” she asked, and though it was technically a question she didn’t need his answer.

Still, Keith nodded his reply, feeling awkward and stupid and so very guilty for his part in all this. Unfortunately, back then he’d felt his hands were tied, and by the time he’d realised what a mistake he might have made it was all too late. The Summer had been glorious, getting to spend time with this girl, and yet it was torturous not to tell her the truth. Now she knew, now he could tell her all he’d wished to before.

“Veronica, I am so sorry,” he said honestly, looking a lot more upset about all this than either Veronica or Logan ever would have expected. “I wish there was a better way for you to find out. In fact, there are times when I wish we’d never made that stupid deal, but I thought I was doing what was best for you,” he explained, making a deep frown appear on the little blonde’s face.

“I don’t understand,” Veronica admitted with a shake of her head. “What deal?” she asked in earnest, as Keith glanced between her baffled expression and that of Logan who was similarly bemused.

“Oh, God.” The older man internally cursed himself as he rubbed a hand over his face and wished he’d never come here.

Clearly Veronica knew the truth about Jake and Lianne’s affair but not the full story. He’d made such a stupid assumption and now he must be the one to complete the truth she’d been told, regardless of the outcome.

“Veronica,” he said carefully and gently as he could, meeting her eyes then. “There’s a chance that I could be your father.”


	29. Chapter 29

_Things were so not supposed to be like this. I know I always wanted to know why I didn't feel like a fit in but this is beyond anything I ever imagined. If I just found out I was adopted I'd be shocked, but finding out I spent the Summer hanging out with the guy that might be my real father, I can't deal with that right now. I thought writing it down would help, it usually does. In the absence of my diary or my laptop, I just went for the nearest notepad and pen which I weirdly found in the cabinet in here, in the Echolls family bathroom! Hey, who am I to judge about what other people keep in their bathrooms, right now I'm more concerned about the skeletons my own family keep in their closets, in particular the ones about me and when I was born._

_It makes me wonder what kind of person my mother really is. Lianne Mars was, and probably still is, a drunk. I'm not surprised she gave me up or that Jake and Celeste decided I'd be better off not knowing who she really was. I can kind of make my peace with that... maybe... but what about Sheriff Mars? Why didn't they bother to check who my real father was? A simple DNA test would've told them and then at least I could’ve been raised by the right father!_

_Half of me just wants to run away and punish everybody who has lied to me all this time - Jake, Celeste, Keith. The other half wants to stay, give them a chance to explain, maybe get to know the man who might be my Dad. God, that seems so weird, thinking about Sherriff Mars as my father. The whole world sees me as the younger daughter of Jake Kane, it’s how I always saw myself, no matter how out of place I felt in the house that had always been my home._

_Veronica Mars. It seems wrong to even write that, and there’s a chance I’m not even that person. There’s every chance I’m still my Dad’s... that I’m still Jake’s daughter. This is insane! I can’t get this straight in my head. Mostly I just want all this to go away, it was easier not knowing the truth, but then without it I would always be wondering why I feel wrong, why I never felt like I truly fit in my own family._

_It would make sense if the Sheriff were my real father. When I think about it calmly, I know it adds up to make more sense than the way I’ve lived all this time. I’ve never cared so much about money. I have such a passion for investigating and the work Keith is so good at. I never fit in at home, and Celeste almost seemed to go out of her way to make sure I didn’t. Things are awkward between her and Jake, especially this past Summer when I ended up lying about where I spent my time. The way they looked at me and each other, any time I mentioned the Sheriff’s station, something wasn’t right._

_The question then becomes do I want it to be true? Do I want to find out that my family isn’t really mine? That I’m not Veronica Kane but Veronica Mars, not the daughter of the richest couple in Neptune, but of a respected Sheriff and his drunken wife that left so long ago?�All I know for sure right now is that I can’t hide here forever. The Echolls’ bathroom might be big and luxurious, but I can’t decide to live in it, even if hiding away seems like a great plan right now. You can’t close a door on your problems and hope they go away, and you can’t run from them either. I learnt that from my parents, all of them in a way, whichever of them really are the ones who made me..._

_I’m not sure if Keith is still around. He probably left an hour ago or more, which I think is a good thing. I don’t know how to face him right now, anymore than I know how to face home. I know Logan is out there. He’s knocked on the door more than once and asked me to come out and talk to him..._

Veronica looked up from her writing at the locked door opposite. It was a while ago that Logan had last come to check on her. She’d barely been listening, so caught up was she in her own thoughts and upset. He’d repeated words of love and comfort to her, promised he would be there when she came out and that she could stay as long as she wanted at his house. He only wanted to help her, and Veronica knew it. She only wished it was so simple as a hug or a promise.

Getting up from her place sat in the corner of the room, Veronica pulled the pages she had written from the notepad and stuffed them in her pocket. On her way to the door, she glanced in the mirror, wincing at the sight of her own tear-stained face and cropped hair, rubbing a hand haphazardly over her cheeks in some vain attempt to look reasonable.

Unbolting the door and easing it open, Veronica was a little surprised to find Logan sitting there, his back against the opposite wall as he played on a hand-held computer game. The moment he realised she was there, the game was abandoned and he was on his feet, asking her if she was okay. It was perhaps the dumbest question ever given the circumstances, but Veronica still smiled. She was only glad he was here and he cared. It was all she needed in that moment as she went into his waiting arms and the couple hugged each other.

“I’m sorry.” She sighed against his chest. “I should’ve stayed and talked to him, running was stupid-”

“Hey,” Logan interrupted her, putting his fingers under her chin and making her look at him. “You’re allowed to be upset. It was shock. Hell, if I found out my dad was some other guy I never suspected... well, honestly, I’d be thrilled,” he said thoughtfully, with an odd look on his face that made Veronica laugh lightly.

“I know.” She nodded once. “Right now I’m not the biggest fan of my dad either, whichever person that is.” She frowned as she thought about it. “It’s like from the moment I was born everybody started lying their asses off,” she said with a shake of her head, “but at least it explains a few things.”

Logan hated that he had nothing useful to say. He couldn’t fix this or make anything feel better for Veronica, no matter how much he loved her. Some people had ideal parents, some people didn’t. Though Jake, Celeste, and Keith all seemed like decent people from the outside it was clear they were not as clean cut as they made out, but then to the world at large Logan’s own family seemed shiny and perfect. He knew better, he was the only one that really did.

“Er, Sheriff Mars said you can call him anytime if you wanna talk,” he said then, thinking at least passing on that message was useful. “He also promised not to tell your parents... er, the Kanes, where you are,” he amended, hoping he’d said the right thing as she held onto the arm he’d put around her shoulders and they walked towards the living room. “I think he was hoping you’d do it before he had to.”

“Uh-huh.” Veronica nodded, though it didn’t look like she was really listening as they flopped down on the couch together and he kissed the top of her head.

“Tell me what to say, Veronica,” he urged her. “I wish I could make it easier.”

“It’s okay,” she assured him, curling up against him. “The fact I have a place and a person to run to right now is enough,” she told him, immediately regretting her words when she realised what they might imply. “Not that I’m using you,” she said quickly as her head shot up off his chest.

“I never thought you were,” he assured her, holding her tight. “Honestly, even if I thought that I’d probably let you do it.” He smiled. “I love you, Veronica,” he reminded her, glad to see those words at least brought a smile to her lips.

“I love you too,” she replied as they shared a brief kiss. “I just wish that was all I had to focus on right now, you and me.” She smiled sadly.

Logan only wished he knew what to say to the girl he loved so much. She was right, it would be nice if they could just be happy teens in love, without a care in the world. Unfortunately, life scarcely if ever worked that way. What goes up must come down, his luck had been soaring when he moved to Neptune, made new friends, and convinced Veronica to date him. It was inevitable that eventually bad things would come to take away from the joy, and here they were. He didn’t blame his girlfriend for bringing the mood down, how could he? Logan was only glad he could be here for her now that she needed him.

“How about I call up the Kane house, let them know you’re okay?” he offered.

Veronica looked pained initially, but she knew deep down that eventually Jake and Celeste, as well as Lilly and Duncan, must be told where she was. Her siblings, if that’s what they really were, they may not even know the truth yet, and she wasn’t sure she would want to be the one to tell them.

In answer to Logan’s question, she silently nodded, smiling gratefully as he kissed her forehead and left the room to make the call. Veronica only hoped her so-called parents would stay calm when they were told where she was and all. The last thing she wanted or needed was for them to come storming on over, reading the riot act. She needed some alone time, to think about where to go from here. Her whole world seemed to be askew since hearing the news that not only was her mother a fraud, but that her father may not be the man she always thought either.

It was too much to think about and yet Veronica could not make her mind focus on anything else as she put her hands to her face and wiped away one more stray tear. She hated that getting the answers she needed had only made her feel worse than before she had them. Still, there was a certain part of her that felt relief. In her heart she was happy. At least she knew the truth, or as much of it as anybody knew right now. She had the opportunity to figure out for herself where she went from here, instead of relying on so many other people to make her choices for her. At the end of the day, it had to be better to have all the facts and make an informed decision. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite as simple as just Veronica deciding what happened next. There were a whole bunch of other people to consider, including both her possible fathers, her suspected half-siblings, and supposed friends that may not be so nice when they found out about this particular scandal in the Kane family.

* * *

Logan was almost done with his phone call to Jake Kane when he spotted a familiar blond head beyond the glass doors that led outside. Whether Dick had tried the front door and got no response, he wasn’t sure, but he suspected his friend just planned to barge in through what passed for the back door unannounced as he had done various times before. Of course, now was not the greatest time, but that never stopped the young Mr Casablancas before, and it wouldn’t now either.

“Dude!” he exclaimed as he barged in through the door just as Logan hung up from his call. “Mac is being totally weird with me, man,” he complained as he pushed past his friend and flopped down into an armchair.

“Come in, Dick. Make yourself at home,” Logan dead-panned.

A moment ago he’d been quite pleased with himself, making the call to the Kane residence and actually convincing a rather upset Jake to let Veronica stay at the Echolls house for a while until things had calmed down. Now he felt awkward again at the realisation that he needed to get his friend out of the house without too much fuss and back to Veronica without letting her secret out just yet.

“So yesterday we’re making out at the movie theatre, and today she’ll barely take my calls,” Dick rambled on, regardless of the fact that Logan looked disinterested. “It’s like what the hell did I do, y’know? Does Ronnie ever go nuts on you like that?” he checked as Logan tossed the phone into an empty chair and looked thoughtful a moment.

“Can’t say she does,” he said, pulling Dick out his seat, “but y’know, Dick, women are an enigma, and the only way to get to the bottom of it is to keep on trying,” he suggested, showing him back towards the glass doors.

“Hey, what’s up, Logan?” The blond frowned a moment before a devilish smile took over. “Do you have Ronnie here? Man, did you guys seal the deal last night?” he said like an excited kid on Christmas, just as Veronica came in through the door. “Who’s been a dirty, dirty girl?” he asked her the moment she appeared, the grin falling from his face when he spotted her tear-stained cheeks and chopped off hair.

“Now’s not the greatest time for a social visit, Dick,” she said flatly, as Logan shot her an entirely apologetic look.

“What the hell happened to you?” the blond asked as he looked between his two friends. “Dude, she does not look good,” he told Logan, who by now was getting a little mad at both the intrusion and unhelpful remarks.

“None of your damn business, Dick,” he snapped. “So why don’t you just go already?” he suggested, opening the door up and practically pushing him out.

“Geez, what crawled up everybody’s butt and died lately!” Dick complained, still not looking overly eager to go despite being almost physically thrown out.

“You wanna know what the problem is, Dick?!” Veronica suddenly yelled, and Logan was entirely surprised as she lost it right there in the middle of the room. “My life is falling apart all around me and I don’t know how to deal! I’m really sorry if that ruins the day for you!” she pretty much yelled.

Veronica was completely unaware of the door opening and closing behind her and a person appearing there, until a bag dropped to the floor, the thump it made sounding very loud and sudden in the now silent room.

“What on earth is going on here?” the red-head asked as she looked between the three people in the room.

With an entirely faked cheery smile on his face, Logan waved hello from across the room.

“Welcome home, Trina."


	30. Chapter 30

_This isn’t exactly how I expected to spend the weekend, holed up in a spare room at my boyfriend’s house, hiding from the world. Who could predict the stuff that’s happened the past few days? I certainly couldn’t. I’d like to say I won’t dwell on it, but with something this big and serious, there’s little else to do._

_Logan is currently explaining this whole situation to his sister, Trina. Obviously I didn’t make the best impression on her and if I’m going to be staying in her family home she should know why. Dick on the other hand does not need to know yet, and I am so grateful to Logan for getting him out as fast as he did. It’s not that Dick is a bad guy and I know one day the whole of Neptune High and beyond is going to hear the tale of my ambiguous parental state. For right now, I can do without it._

_God, it’s so weird. I really wish I was at home right now, not the way things are but before I knew anything was wrong. I miss Duncan and Lilly, which is kind of crazy since it’s only a couple of days since I was home and we were all hanging out together. This isn’t their fault any more than it’s mine, and I wonder if they’ve even been told yet what’s going on. I worry what it’ll do to Duncan with his epilepsy and all, and Lilly... I don’t think she can get any more wild and outspoken, but this just might do it. I know I mean as much to her as she means to me, even though she’s not always great and showing it. Home is with her and Duncan, even if they’re not related to me by blood like we thought. As much as I appreciate staying here whilst this gets figured out, this is Logan’s home, not mine and..._

Her cell buzzing on the bed beside her caught Veronica’s attention and she immediately reached for it. A text message had arrived from Mac asking simply ‘Are you okay?’. Veronica honestly wasn’t sure how to answer that question. It certainly couldn’t be done in a simple and short way like such a message usually would be. The only way to really explain would be to call Mac, which was at least a little appealing. They’d become great friends over the past couple of months and much like Logan, Veronica was sure Mac would understand and want to be there for her.

Still, going over everything one more time so someone else could hear and sympathise, Veronica wasn’t really ready for that. She needed to think about something else for a while and maybe if she called and talked to Mac she’d get the chance. Clearly something was happening with her and Dick from the blond’s bad mood earlier. As awful as it might sound, Veronica would appreciate hearing that somebody else was having problems too, if only to help her feel less alone with hers.

“Okay,” she said to herself, feeling just a little bad for wanting to hear another persons problems just to make herself feel better.

Of course that wasn’t the only reason to call, she thought to herself, as she located Mac’s number in the cell and hit dial. It would be good to talk to her friend too, and if she could help at all with a little relationship advice she would like to. Not that Veronica was the world’s expert when it came to the ways of love and all, but she’d give it her best shot.

“Veronica?” Mac checked as she took the call, clearly wary after the last time when Logan had answered.

“Yes, Mac, it’s me.” The blonde smiled slightly. “I just got your message and I... well, I thought I’d call, say hi,” she said awkwardly as she sat back on the bed and considered what she was actually going to say now she’d made this call.

“Are you okay, Veronica?” her friend asked worriedly. “I was a little freaked out when Logan answered your cell and said you couldn’t talk. He sounded... odd.”

“It’s okay,” the blonde quickly told her, closing her eyes and wincing as she realised that was a complete lie. “Actually, it’s not exactly okay. I wish I could explain, Mac, I do, but right now-”

“Hey, it’s fine, I get it,” Mac assured her, her tone as genuine as always. “Really, Veronica, if you have stuff you have to deal with, and you can’t talk about it then it’s cool,” she told her. “Although... well, is this about Lilly?” she checked.

Of course, Mac didn’t want to make things worse here, but she felt it was her duty as a friend to talk to Veronica about her sisters suspected cheating. After all, the Kanes had a family name and reputation to uphold in town. If Lilly was going to cause pain and trouble with her actions, Mac would just kick herself for not trying to stop that happening via her sister who may be able to prevent it.

“Lilly?” Veronica echoed, clearly bemused. “Why would this have something to do with Lilly?” she asked, genuinely puzzled.

“Oh, um, I don’t know,” Mac said quickly, feeling bad.

It was clear that whatever had upset Veronica or caused upheaval in her life, it had nothing to do with Lilly possibly having an affair behind Weevil’s back. Now she had to explain herself and possibly cause more pain and problems than she was ever solving. Mac felt sick.

For Veronica, the moment was a strange one. Whilst Lilly was now revealed to be her half-sister at best, possibly not even that, she still cared. Years and years of sisterly love and devotion did not just evaporate in a moment. Lilly would always be like her much-loved sister, whether the DNA made a liar of them or not. The closeness with her siblings would remain as far as Veronica was concerned. Duncan and Lilly just meant too much to be ignored, and if there was an issue with one of them that needed dealing with, Veronica still wanted to be involved in it.

“Mac, please,” she said quickly. “If you know something about Lilly, something I should know, would you please tell me?” she urged her.

“It’s probably nothing,” her friend said, fidgeting nervously despite the fact she could not be seen on the other end of the phone call. “It’s just, well, when me and Dick came out of the movie theatre yesterday, we saw Lilly coming out of the Neptune Grand.”

“The Neptune Grand?” Veronica echoed, swallowing hard as her mind also raced back to a moment the day before...

**Veronica wasn’t really paying attention to what Logan was doing... Underneath a whole mass of cutlery, utensils, and more, Veronica frowned when she spotted a pile of papers. The back of a kitchen drawer seemed like a weird place to keep... receipts from the honeymoon suite at the Neptune Grand? She stuffed the receipts back into the drawer without a word, after all, they were none of her business. It was unlikely they had anything to do with Logan, or he wouldn’t have let her go digging around where she might see them. Of course, he had said that his Dad was prone to affairs, they might well be his.**

“Like I said, it’s probably nothing,” Mac repeated, though Veronica barely heard as her mind continued to flash through scenes from the past day, week, month...

**Right in the middle of a perfectly nice slow dance... Suddenly there was a crash and yelling started up, voices I recognised all too well - Lilly and Weevil. Seems he’d got some weird ideas about my sister and a possible passion for Logan’s movie-star father, Aaron Echolls. I vaguely remember her swooning over a couple of his old movies one time, but that hardly constitutes yelling about a possible affair! One week on from the party, the unlikely pair are holding it together, but things aren’t good. As gross as it would be to realise she was doing anything at all with my boyfriend’s father, I’m afraid to say it’s not the craziest idea I ever heard. The worst of it is, she barely denies it, only yells at Weevil for daring to accuse her... as much as Weevil loves Lilly, Lilly loves guys.**

“Veronica? Veronica?” Mac repeated her name a few times, in more and more panicked tones, before she finally got a response out of her friend.

“I’m sorry,” she replied eventually, literally shaking her head to bring herself out of the daze she’d fallen into.

Veronica realised now just how very plausible this crazy theory she’d had a while ago might be. Weevil believed Lilly might be cheating and Veronica knew her to be very capable of it. She had a thing for Aaron before, he clearly had a thing for younger women, and Logan had admitted he knew of his father’s numerous affairs. Add to that the unlikely coincidence regarding the Neptune Grand, and it didn’t look good as far as Veronica could see.

“Mac I have to go,” she said, quickly clambering off the bed. “I’m sorry, we’ll talk soon, but I have to go,” she said with a final apology before she shut off the phone and hurried from the room, literally barrelling into Logan who had been walking the other way down the hall.

He caught her by the shoulders and looked down into her panicked expression, which bothered him a lot.

“Veronica, what happened?” he checked, but her only answer was to shake her head as she picked up his hand in hers and practically dragged him towards the kitchen. “You’re kind of scaring me now,” he admitted as they arrived in the room and she ran around he counter to rifle through the cutlery drawer.

“I have to find something,” she said, pulling out the sheaf of paper she’d found before. “These,” she declared at last, holding them out to Logan who frowned slightly as he took them from her and looked to see what all the fuss was about.

“Receipts?” he said, as he glanced from the pages to Veronica’s face.

“If they’re not your little stash of secret hotel receipts, and I’m going to believe they’re not,” she explained. “The only other likely candidate seems to be-”

“My dad,” Logan filled in, not looking at all surprised, “but why has Daddy Dearest and his lack of self-control gotten you so panicked?” he asked, completely confused.

“You know Lilly and Weevil have been having problems, and yesterday...” she said, feeling awkward suddenly at having to tell her boyfriend this, having to speak the words aloud at all really for fear of making them more true than they were in her head. “Logan, Mac and Dick saw Lilly coming out of the Neptune Grand yesterday afternoon. I know it’s not exactly a smoking gun but given both their reputations...” she said with a shake of her head as she let the sentence hang there since he clearly understood her meaning all too well already. “Logan?” she said when he was silent too long, staring at nothing but an invisible mark on the counter between them.

“I’m fine,” he said, with a twisted smile. “Really, Veronica, I expect this from my bad.” He shrugged. “But you have to talk to Lilly,” he said urgently as he rounded the counter top and looked down at her with a look too serious to be ignored.

“Logan, what are you saying?” Veronica asked as she stared up at him.

“Aaron is dangerous,” he told her, unable how better to make his point than to show her exactly what he meant.

Veronica could only stare as Logan pulled up his shirt, revealing scars across his back that were clearly of his father’s infliction. She suspected a belt or similar had been used as one hand covered her mouth to hide her gasp of shock as she reached out to trace the lines that told of injuries her boyfriend should never have suffered. If she allowed this, or worse, to be Lilly’s fate, Veronica would never forgive herself.


	31. Chapter 31

“Hey, Logan.” Lilly smiled sunnily as he opened the front door to let her in. “So, this is where my little sister has been hiding herself away? Like it took a genius to work that out.” She rolled her eyes as she practically shoved him aside on her way through the door.

“Come on in,” he said pointlessly, repressing his own eye-roll as he took the older girl to the living room where Veronica was waiting.

“Lilly.” She smiled as she turned to look at her sister, who may not actually be.

Still, they’d been best friends all these years, and Veronica hoped against hope that wouldn’t change, no matter what her DNA turned out to be.

“I’ll leave you two... ladies alone,” Logan said awkwardly, since it was hardly a decent description of Lilly in particular. “Just holler if you need me,” he told his girlfriend with a smile before leaving the pair.

“Wow, you have the boy well trained, V,” her supposed older sister told her as she lounged back into an arm chair. “I’m proud of you.”

“Logan’s been really great.” Veronica nodded from her place perched on the edge of the couch opposite. “I didn’t think I’d ever find somebody like this, that I feel so comfortable with and connected to-”

“Speaking of connections,” Lilly interrupted, looking pretty serious considering her usual breezy and smiley manner. “You know whoever Dad did or didn’t do way back when, it doesn’t change anything.”

“Lilly, it could change everything.” Veronica shook her head. “Y’know Mom’s not... well, my mom, and if your dad isn’t my dad either-”

“Then we’re still the two hottest, most fabulous blondes in Neptune,” Lilly said with a flourish as she sat up in her seat and grabbed a hold on Veronica’s hand. “Sweetie, we’re kindred, sisters whether the blood samples say so or not, okay?” she said definitely, causing Veronica to tear up immediately.

She wasn’t used to Lilly being quite so sweet and genuine. They always loved each other, and Veronica had tried to tell herself they’d always be there for each other no matter what happened, but until she got an agreement like that from Lilly she hadn’t let herself believe. Hearing it now brought on more tears she didn’t know she had left to shed, and yet these were most definitely happy tears and not sad ones like so many before.

“What is the matter with me?” she said, as if she didn’t know, wiping her eyes with the back of her free hand, until Lilly pulled some tissue from her purses and tossed it to her.

“You’re soft like Donut on the inside, always were.” She sighed heavily. “Y’know he wanted to come over too. He still wants you guys to be close, twins or not.”

“Why isn’t he here?” Veronica asked with a slight frown, assuming that her possible half-brother was staying away because he was uncomfortable facing her right now.

“Oh, that’s my bad,” Lilly admitted. “I thought maybe two of us at the same time would be a little to much for you to handle if you were all weepy and stuff,” she explained, “but I can send him over later, if you want.”

“That’d be good.” Veronica nodded with a smile. “It’s so crazy how much I miss you two and it’s only been a couple of days, but I couldn’t come back, I-”

“It’s cool, V,” Lilly assured her. “I get it.”

Veronica smiled at that, pleased that they could still talk and that things didn’t feel even a little awkward despite all that was happening. They may not be sisters by blood, that was yet to be confirmed, but that didn’t mean they had to be strangers. Veronica would hate to lose Lilly or Duncan from her life and that just reminded her why she’d asked her to come over in the first place today. She had to broach the subject of Aaron and that was something she was dreading, though this had to be done. The idea of that monstrous man laying a hand on Lilly at all made her feel physically nauseous. The thought of him causing damage, leaving scars, or worse... Veronica couldn’t bear it.

“Lil, we have to talk... about Aaron,” she said, carefully watching Lilly’s reaction.

Something was wrong with the smile that never wavered, it didn’t reach her eyes and her tone was not convincing when she spoke.

“Logan’s Dad?” she asked as if she didn’t know. “What about him?”

“Lilly,” Veronica fixed her with a look as she shook her head. “Come on, I know you’ve been seeing him behind Weevil’s back,” she told her, causing the other girl to sigh heavily as she fell back against the cushions of the chair with a thump.

“I forgot what a little detective you were these days,” she said, looking only at her own hands in front of her as she picked at her imperfect nail polish that needed dealing with.

Of course, the situation here was much more important than a manicure, but proper nail care was easier to deal with right now. Lilly knew she had a reputation, few people knew the truth about her but Veronica was one of those few. She was aware of exactly how much of the rumour and gossip about her supposed-sister was real and how much was fake. She could’ve used her not realising the truth about her and Aaron - it was not one of her greatest moments!

“Lilly, I don’t know exactly why you thought an affair with him was a good idea,” Veronica sighed as she reached for her hand. “But Aaron Echolls is not a guy you want to get too close to,” she explained. “I talked to Logan about him, he’s not... he’s dangerous, Lil,” she said, the look in her eyes conveying what she meant by that.

Dangerous could be interpreted in so many ways, but Lilly was left in no doubt of what Veronica was trying to say. Aaron had hurt Logan, physically mostly, and now there was fear that such a thing could happen to her. Of course, Lilly wasn’t so blind or stupid, and she had been as close to Aaron as anyone could be, at least in the physical sense. Oh yes, she knew exactly what she was getting into and just when to get out.

“His temper is kind of legendary, y’know?” she told her sister. “Back in the day the tabloids were always publishing stuff, assault charges and all. I guess when you have enough money it makes all that just go away,” she said with some random hand gesture. “He only got mad at me once, Veronica. He raised a hand and... he never hit me,” she quickly explained. “If he’d done that, believe me there would have been consequences,” she said definitely, “but for all his apologies, I wasn’t willing to risk bruises for the sake of a guy that knows a few tricks in the sack.”

“But yesterday.” Veronica shook her head showing she didn’t understand. “Lilly, I know you were at the Neptune Grand, and so was Aaron.”

“I met him there to end it,” Lilly explained immediately as she sat forward in her seat, a hand on the younger girls shoulder. “Veronica, I swear, I’m fine, and I’m not seeing Aaron Echolls any more,” she promised her. “Geez, you worry a lot,” she said, though her usual non-chalant tone bordered on something more genuine.

She was touched that her sister cared so much, especially now when that very title was in doubt. Lilly did a great line in not caring about anyone or anything. Not that she’d tell another living soul, not even Veronica, but she was scared that day with Aaron. The look in his eyes was feral and dangerous. She knew then how not worth it their affair was, even if Weevil hadn’t already begun to convince her of it. Of course, he had no evidence she was cheating and if he had she’d have lost him long ago. Fortunately, she was as sneaky as a girl could be, and until now nobody had discovered her affair with the movie star that used to be such a heart-throb, not until now.

“Uh, who else knows about my dirty little secret?” Lilly checked then, ever mindful of the truth getting out, especially within Eli’s hearing. “I’m guessing Logan knows.”

“Yes.” Veronica nodded once. “Mac and Dick saw you leaving the hotel, but they don’t know why, although they suspected maybe you were cheating.”

“My reputation proceeds me.” Lilly giggled in spite of the serious situation.

“It’s not funny, Lil,” she was reminded immediately by a stony-faced Veronica. “Why would you even cheat on Weevil? I thought he really meant something to you,”

“He does.” Lilly sighed. “Of course, he does, but he just made me so mad!” she explained waving her hand in a random gesture. “All that crap about me liking Aaron, God, you have no idea how obsessive he can be, and... I dunno, I guess I just figured if he was going to accuse me of being a slut, I may as well act like one,” she laughed, though there was little humour in it as she and Veronica shared a look. “I know, I know, not one of my greatest plans.”

“Probably not,” her presumed younger sister agreed though she kind of felt bad for Lilly, even now as she ought to be mad at her.

Veronica knew she could never cheat on Logan, no matter what. They had been together such a short time and yet she was completely in love with him and was certain he felt exactly the same about her. She had thought that Lilly and Eli, despite being a non-obvious pairing, might just be in this thing for a reasonably long haul. Now that seemed less certain, though Veronica was sure she’d never seen her older sister look so guilty about one of her many crimes before this.

“I admit, Aaron flattered me,” Lilly told the younger girl. “He’s a movie star, Veronica, what’s a girl to do?” She shrugged.

“Depends on the girl, I guess,” came the response she was almost expecting, “but you know, Lil, you did the right thing breaking up with him, and I’m sure if you explained it to Weevil-”

She got no further as Lilly burst into fits of laughter that would have seemed near-hysteric were it not for the hollow sadness beneath.

“Oh, V, please.” Lilly shook her head. “You don’t seriously believe Eli would forgive me for this,” she said, laughter dying in a moment. “Sweetie, I know he says he loves me but-”

“Give him a chance, sis,” Veronica said, the use of such a word at such a moment completely without thought.

A look passed between the young women then as the conversation turned back to another serious subject.

“So, when do we find out for sure, oh great detective of the bitchin’ new hair?” Lilly asked with a smile, making any and all attempts to not be so solemn, but there really wasn’t a way around it. “I’m guessing you want to know.”

“Yes and no.” Veronica sighed, grateful that she hadn’t had to think about this topic for a whole half hour and yet knowing it could not be so easily forgotten for long - it had to be faced and dealt with. “Logan’s going to help me figure it out.” She smiled at least at that thought and Lilly noticed the brightness of that smile on her supposed-sister’s face.

“You two would just die for each other, wouldn’t you?” she said, without the usual humour or sarcasm she liked to use.

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Veronica rolled her eyes. “But Logan is one thing I’m really sure about in my life right now, I love him so much,” she explained, knowing she really meant that, and only hoping that Lilly, whether she was her sister or not, could one day say the same about a guy in her life and mean it completely, maybe even Eli ‘Weevil’ Navarro.


	32. Chapter 32

Veronica watched the view whiz past the car window and sighed. She wasn’t really taking anything in, she was hardly aware of the flashing scenery before her eyes or the music on the radio or anything. Her mind was too full of where she was headed and why.

It was two weeks since this whole thing had started, since Veronica Kane had found out there was a chance she might actually be Veronica Mars instead. Since that time, she’d been hidden away at the Echolls house for the most part, where Logan had looked after her, and Mac and Dick had visited. She’d seen her supposed brother and sister too, but it had been awkward at best with Duncan. They were supposed to be twins, and yet the best they could hope for now was half-siblings. Lilly took it all in her stride as she always did, and Veronica loved that they were still to be best friends, regardless of whether or not they shared a blood connection. Duncan didn’t find it quite so easy, though he assured Veronica that he would always love her and she returned this sentiment knowing it to be true.

Concentrating on her relationship with Logan had made Veronica feel better, though things had been a little strained sometimes there too. They were young and in love, things ought to be perfect, but he was so mindful of pushing her into anything whilst she was in her vulnerable state, and to be truthful Veronica was very aware of the situation too. She couldn’t just dismiss what had happened with Duncan and Meg, and even with her own parents, whichever of the adults surrounding her turned out to really hold the title. When she and Logan finally went all the way, she wanted it to be special and all about them, not just because she need comfort or a release. Things would be right one day, a perfect time for Logan and herself.

Veronica checked her watch and focused on the road sign up ahead. Not long now until they arrived at their destination, and she was both pleased and scared in equal measure about it. Today she found out for sure, they all did. Within the hour, Veronica would know if the blood that flowed through her veins was pure Mars or half Kane and her life would change all over again. She thought enough had altered already in the past few months, both good and bad, serious and flippant. New boyfriend that she loved, new friends that loved her, new computer to keep her journal on, new mother just recently discovered and now maybe a new father too. Veronica smiled as she realised she even had new hair since this all began, and that was at least one simple little thing to grin about. She looked entirely cute since Trina’s personal stylist was called to come and fix the mess Veronica had made of her own haircut. It was one change in the past fortnight that the blonde was very happy with. It remained to be seen if the remainder of today would bring a smile too.

“You okay?” Logan asked as he glanced from the road to his girlfriend’s face and back.

It seemed a stupid question but he was sure she’d been smiling for a moment. All too fast the look was gone, replaced by a frown that Veronica wore too much of late. Of course he understood her worries and all, but he did so hate to see her suffer, knowing there was little he could do to help.

“As okay as I can be right now.” Veronica sighed. “I just want today over with, at least then we’ll all know for sure.”

“Whatever happens, you know I’ll be here for you, Veronica,” her boyfriend assured her, stopping at a red light and taking the chance to put his hand on hers as he looked at her. “I mean, it might be awkward explaining to my folks when they get home tonight, but if you need to stay longer-”

“Logan.” She smiled as she interrupted him, and gripped his hand tight. “You have done so much for me, you and Trina, and Mac and Dick,” she told him. “I so appreciate it, but whatever happens today, I’m going to have to make a choice. I’m going to have to go home, wherever that is,” she said with a shake of her head as she turned to peer out of the window thoughtfully once again.

Logan was forced to let go of her hand then and focus his eyes on the road. Just a few miles to go then they reached the private clinic where the Kanes and Sheriff Mars all waited to hear the news of who exactly was Veronica’s father.

* * *

Mac just couldn’t stop worrying about Veronica. The two had become such good friends, always there for each other, to the point where Mac and her boyfriend Dick were in fact the only two people outside of the tight Kane-Mars-Echolls circle that knew of the family secret regarding Veronica’s parentage. The whole thing unsettled her, not least because it made her wonder about her own folks. She and Veronica had always felt so out of place in each of their own homes, and now the reason for the blonde’s uneasiness had been revealed. It made Mac wonder about her own parents, if she herself was the product of an affair, though she doubted either of her parents had it in them she wondered if she was adopted, but feared knowing the truth too.

The whole thing had poor Mac so distracted that she really wasn’t paying attention to the TV on which her eyes were fixed, and even less attention was devoted to her boyfriend, despite his attempts to kiss and touch her. It wasn’t long before Dick got a little bored of being ignored and called her on it.

“Hey, did we have a fight that I didn’t notice again?” he checked, referring to their other previous falling out a couple of weeks ago.

Poor Dick had been oblivious that his thoughtless comments about the whole Lilly/Aaron debacle had bothered his girlfriend. Mac couldn’t get him to see that thinking affairs were okay in certain circumstances and saying so in front of your girlfriend was a bad thing. It took a long time, and Mac guessed some explanation via Logan, before Dick finally caught on and swore with a cross over his heart that he would never cheat on his Macster. She hadn’t been able to resist the puppy dog eyes and pathetic way in which he apologised and had forgiven him perhaps more easily than she might’ve otherwise. Since then things had been good between them, though perhaps she’d been more distracted of late. Dick had certainly started to notice and it bothered him.

“What?” she asked, proving her usual state was to be otherwhere since she hadn’t even heard the question he asked her.

Moving to flip off the TV she clearly wasn’t watching, Dick turned on the couch to face his girl. He didn’t do well at this talking thing, he was strictly action man and it had bugged every girlfriend he’d ever had. It didn’t bother him much when Madison yelled at him for being an insensitive pig because truth be told they were only together for the status and the looks and all. Dick was with Mac because he liked her, more than that actually, though he hadn’t really told her yet. That was the part when he ran into trouble, where he had to find words that didn’t come easy, like now when there was clearly something bothering his Macky and he ought to help her figure it out.

“Something’s on your mind, babe,” he said matter-of-factly. “And I’m not saying I can help you at all with whatever the problem is, but if I did something-”

“You didn’t,” Mac interrupted immediately, feeling bad that she’d made him think any of her bad moodiness was his fault. “I’m sorry, Dick, really. I just... I’m worried about Veronica,” she explained. “You know she’s getting the DNA results today.”

“Oh, right.” Dick nodded, snapping his fingers as he recalled she was right. “Yeah, that’s harsh, with her parents and everybody lying and all,” he said shaking his head as he flopped back against the couch cushions and Mac curled up under his arm. “Any kid of ours is going to know he’s Dick Casablancas’ kid!” he said definitely, so much so that Mac was quite taken aback by it, not so much by is determination to be a good father, she knew he could be like that, but more so by the kids he’d talked about being both of theirs rather than just his own.

Her head was up off his shoulder in a moment as she stared at him.

“Our kid?” she echoed. “Um, you think seriously about stuff like that?” she checked, not sure if she was glad about that or not, after all they’d only been dating a short while and he was contemplating a future that stretched into marriage and children already?

“I don’t know.” Dick shrugged, feeling a little weird when he realised what he’d actually said. “I guess, sometimes, doesn’t everybody?” he said, a little defensively.

“Oh my God.” Mac’s hand covered her mouth as she smiled, a warm feeling emanating through her body from her heart.

There were times when she questioned her sanity being with Dick, he could be such an unthinking doofus! Then there were times like this, when he would say something so sweet, maybe without even realising he’d done it, and it would touch Mac’s heart. This was why she was with him, for times like this... and for the fact he was totally hot!

“Geez, I do have layers, y’know?” Dick told her, looking quite affronted that his sentiments seemed to be amusing to his girlfriend.

His head turned away, his expression showing he was somewhat put out by the whole thing, Mac felt bad for her reaction that he clearly misunderstood. Pushing herself across the couch, practically into his lap, she put a hand to his face, turning his head around and kissed his lips.

“You surprised me, that’s all,” she admitted breathlessly when she pulled away a little at last. “I guess I didn’t realise you were so serious... about us.” She smiled slightly as his hands stayed at the waist still, holding her across his lap.

“Babe, you gotta know I am totally serious about you,” he told her with a genuine smile. “I guess... y’know, it’s a love thing,” he told her awkwardly, not because he wasn’t certain of his feelings, Mac realised, but because he just wasn’t used to saying things like this.

That made two of them, she hadn’t exactly said the L word to a lot of people either, and never to a guy in this kind of situation. Today would be a first time in more ways than one, she decided, as she pressed her body against his and her lips descended on his too. A deep and definite kiss left both of them light-headed before she whispered to him.

“Definitely a love thing,” she promised him, as she moved in to kiss his grinning lips again.

His arms wound around her body, pulling her on top of him as the pair laid down on the couch together. Fingers sought out flesh as they moved on top of each other, Mac clear on what she was doing, if not a little nervous about it, Dick knowing where he’d like this to be headed, but mindful of rushing the girl he cared so much for.

“Mac, hey,” he stopped her before he got to a point where he couldn’t stop himself. “You sure about this, babe?” he checked, the meaning of his question obvious as she looked up into her eyes.

“We have the house to ourselves, right?” she checked, and he nodded his agreement, wondering why she then proceeded to climb off him, he understood when she held out her hand to him and shyly asked. “Remind me, which way is your room?”

* * *

“Okay.” Veronica sighed as Logan pulled the car up outside the building that neither of them really wanted to face, and both for the blonde’s sake. “Guess it’s time to do this,” she said shakily as she reached for the door, but didn’t actually open it.

“You want me to come in there with you or...?” Logan began, only to be cut off before the question was even out of his mouth.

“God, yes!” Veronica said definitely, like she was hugely relieved he had offered.

It was crazy, and he couldn’t help but smile at that. She knew she only had to ask and he would do anything for her, but it was not in Veronica’s nature to always ask for what she wanted. She liked to think she could handle things herself, but nobody was that strong all the time.

Taking her hand in his as they met in front of the conspicuous yellow X-Terra, Logan walked Veronica up to the doors and didn’t let go until they were right inside, led down the hall by a nurse type and presented before the entire Kane family, plus Keith Mars.

“Hello, sweetheart.” Jake smiled shakily, offering his arms to Veronica and so pleased that she didn’t deny him a hug, however brief.

Logan felt kind of like a spare part, as Lilly and Duncan came next to greet their possible half sister, and even Keith was offered a friendly greeting. He did not appreciate the way Celeste glared at him, or the fact he may just have two father figures present to lecture him on proper treatment of their daughter. Not that Logan would do anything to upset or hurt his girlfriend, but it was a father’s prerogative, as well as that of a brother in some ways, to do the whole ‘hurt her and die’ speech.

For Veronica, this all felt so strange. Here was her family, the four people she’d always known as her kin. It may come to light in the next few moments that none of them were related to her at all, and that instead she was the only child of the Sheriff, who looked none too comfortable right now. Whatever the outcome of today, Veronica knew she at least had a boyfriend who loved her and friends that would stick by her if and when the press and the population of both the High School and town at large turned on her. They were going to find out the truth, by rumour or by design, it didn’t matter, it would happen. Still, that wasn’t half so scary as this moment, the moment where Veronica found out her true identity - Kane or Mars.

“Okay, so let’s go get this answer... before my head explodes,” she said with a nervous laugh that the others found it hard to share as the doctor was summoned and everybody took a seat.

Logan felt useful again now as he was pulled down into the chair beside Veronica and her hand returned to his, gripping so tight he thought she might break bones, but he didn’t complain. He couldn’t imagine what she was feeling. If someone told him Aaron wasn’t actually his father, he’d be overjoyed, even if his real Dad turned out to be the poorest guy or the dumbest guy, anything would be preferable to his real parent.

“So, as you know...” the doctor started saying, explaining to the assembled group what had happened with regard to taking samples from Veronica and both her possible fathers, boring everybody to death and only increasing the nerves felt by the poor blonde literally in the middle of all this. “And that just leaves the results,” the doctor smiled slightly, unsure what the general reaction would be to either name he read from the paper in his hand. “Veronica, your biological father is...”


	33. Chapter 33

_I’m supposed to be packing my stuff, clothes and essentials that have been brought over to the Echolls house bit by bit over the past two weeks since I moved in. It’s going to take a little while and I should be getting on with it, but right now I just feel I need to write this down here on my trusty laptop. The beginning of this tale was in this diary type thing of mine, it’s only right the end should be too, though of course this is only a brief conclusion. Finding out my father’s identity ends a lot of wondering and answers a lot of questions, but also throws up new problems and issues to deal with._

_I’m not so naive as to think genetic proof of my parents identity will solve every problem, not even close, but it gives us all a place to start. It’s supposed to start with my packing and leaving this place for now. Logan’s folks will be back tonight, in just a few hours actually. When they arrive I want to be gone, not least because explaining why I was ever staying at their house would be more than I could handle right now. Of course another reason is that I can’t face Aaron Echolls, knowing what he’s done to Logan in the past, and what he and Lilly were doing just a couple of weeks ago. It makes my skin crawl to think about being anywhere near that man, if he should even have that title. Whatever my two supposed fathers did, lying and cheating in different ways, I know they both love me in their own ways._

_It still seems crazy when I think about it. I always knew I was different, I just didn’t know I was so very different to the family I had always known, not Veronica Kane but in fact Veronica Mars. The name sounds strange in my head and I can’t imagine being known by it, but maybe one day._

_One thing to be thankful for is that we all came to a decision as a large dysfunctional family about what the future must hold. I’m headed back to the Kane house from here and for now at least I’ll stay there. I need to rebuild some bridges with those that I’ve called my family so long. I’m not ready yet to dive into living with the Sherriff, since as well as we get along it really don’t know him well enough for that. That’s kind of a ‘maybe one day’ deal too, the whole moving in thing. It could happen, sometime in my future, but right now it’ll be almost nice to head home, if only to be with Lilly and Duncan. Blood related or not (the latter being true) I’m always going to love them like a brother and sister, and I know they feel the same. It’s going to be tough with Jake and Celeste, but we’re all just going to have to get used to it, I guess._

_I almost feel bad for them since they’re going to have to face the press and say something. We’ve managed to keep all the rumours at bay, but we all know that if some announcement isn’t made, one day the truth will leak out and cause a scandal. Better to pre-empt the inevitable carnage and do a little damage control, though I gotta say, not so much looking forward to that part._

_On the upside, I do have Logan to stand by me. Though I hope it won’t happen, there’s every chance he’ll have to face a public crisis one day too, and then I’ll stand by him just like he’s standing by me. I kind of wish he’d tell the world what his father is really like. I hate to think of what that monster, Aaron, does to him behind closed doors, but it’s not my place to tell. Logan sees it differently, I guess because he’s lived with the situation all these years. It’s not so long now until he can escape to college and then things will get easier - I hope that’s true._

_For now, I plan on being as much the average teen as I can manage given the fact the whole of Neptune High is going to know the truth of my birth within a week. I’m not afraid to fall from grace with the 09ers. The people that matter will be here for me no matter what, like Mac and Dick, and Lilly and Duncan, of course. As to my former-siblings’ love lives, they remain rocky. I dread to think what will happen if and when Lilly spills her secret affair to Weevil. Still, she should’ve learnt from my experience with Dad that untruths and past mistakes revealed too late hurt a lot more than at the time of occurring. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens with them. As for Duncan and Meg, well, Jake and Celeste can hardly make a big deal about their little mistake before! Not keeping it in their pants is clearly a family trait down the guy side of the Kane tree, though I suppose you have at least got to give both Jake and Duncan props, one did their best for the child borne out of their affair and the other would’ve done if a baby had been made._

A light knock on the door summoned Veronica’s attention from her laptop and she smiled from her lotus position on the bed as Logan opened the door and peeked around at her.

“Hey,” she said, putting her computer aside. “I was packing, honest,” she told him as she went back to just that.

“Veronica, I don’t care what you were doing,” Logan told her, looking amused as he watched her scurrying to push her clothes and other belongings into her bags. “I’m your boyfriend, not your father.” He winced when he realised what he’d said and immediately Veronica felt bad for him.

“I’m glad you’re not my father,” she told him honestly though she was clearly trying to make a joke out of his mistake. “Firstly because, hey, already got two of those,” she said with a lop-sided grin, “and second, because it would be totally illegal and gross for me to do this,” she said as she reached up and kissed him soundly on the lips.

“Hmm, see, now you made me forget what I came in here for,” he admitted when they parted, his arms holding onto her still. “I do know it’s going to be weird not having you around here anymore. I’ve kind of got used to you being here these past two weeks.”

“I know.” She nodded in understanding. “And I’ll miss you too, but I have to go home,” she reminded him, planting one last kiss on his lips before turning away and going back to her packing.

“Will it feel like home?” Logan asked her as he dropped down onto the end of the bed. “After everything that’s happened, I mean.”

“I don’t know.” Veronica sighed as she stuffed a couple of shirts into a bag and zipped it up. “It’ll be good to be with Lilly and Duncan, and when things get back to normal-” She stopped short when she glanced at Logan and saw the look on his face. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen is it?” she said softly, as she sat down beside him and let his arms slide around her shoulders.

Tears welled in Veronica’s eyes as she realised life would never be the same again. That could be for the best or the worst, the outcome was uncertain as they always were. The truth was supposed to set you free and yet in some ways she felt more trapped than ever, caught between two families, neither of which she felt like a true part of right now.

“I’m sorry,” Logan said as he held her close and kissed the top of her head. “Things will be okay, Veronica, in the end they will,” he promised her.

“I know.” She nodded against his chest. “At least I have you, and I love you Logan,” she said as she looked up at him through her lashes. “That’s one thing I am so sure of right now.”

“I love you too,” he replied in kind, unable to resist the urge to drop his lips onto hers and kiss her tenderly.

Veronica realised, as she returned his kiss, that she didn’t want this moment to end. She’d meant what she said, Logan was the one thing in her life right now she was sure of, that made perfect sense. She believed when he said he loved her and knew she meant it just as definitely.

Letting herself lean back, Veronica was soon lying on the bed, pulling Logan down on top of her. He lost all train of reasonable thought as they continued to kiss, hands sliding inside clothes as the young couple surrendered to feelings unexpressed for too long. Logan had been holding back on purpose, ever mindful of taking advtange of Veronica whilst she was vulnerable and staying at his house away from her family. She herself had been glad of him keeping his distance at first but lately had been wishing he’d be a little more forward, before she went crazy. At least now they seemed to be getting somewhere, a very definite somewhere that they had yet to venture too.

“Veronica,” Logan gasped in air as he pulled away from her, trying to gain a little self-control when he realised just exactly where this was going.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as she looked up at him with troubled eyes. “Did I wait too long?” she asked worriedly. “Do you not want to...?” she began to ask, only to have the answer given in the form of the deepest, sweetest kiss possible.

“Of course I want to,” Logan said softly against her lips. “I want you and I love you,” he promised as she echoed similar words back to him.

The world faded away all around them then, not a thought in either Logan or Veronica’s mind as they continued on with what they had begun. They knew where this was headed and it was all they wanted in that moment, just to be together and know it meant love.

* * *

“I mean, I still love her like my sister,” Lilly explained as she sat on the bed, leaning back against Weevil’s chest as he held her close. “It just feels weird, y’know? Thinking how she’s not really my sister.” She sighed. “Does that even make any sense?” she checked, as she tipped her head back to look up at him, albeit upside down.

“I dunno, babe.” Eli shrugged his shoulders. “I guess all that really matters is you girls look out for each other. Blood don’t matter if you care enough,” he told her, knowing it was true.

His gang weren’t related to him, and yet Felix meant as much to him as any blood brother could, and they all had a bond tighter than family. Despite their differences and all their fighting lately, Weevil had also come to realise just how much Lilly meant to him. He knew he loved her, though saying so hadn’t come naturally, for her either, he figured. Now he was sure, and he wanted her to know it.

“You’re thoughtful,” she noticed as she shifted position to see him better, still leaning against him as he held her close.

“Yeah.” He nodded once before looking down into her eyes seriously. “Y’know I am sorry I gave you such a hard time lately,” he told her, such an apology feeling wrong in his mouth but he knew he had to say it. “I’m just not used to this, the whole 'relationship' thing,” he air-quoted, before going right back to holding her. “You got under my skin, Lilly Kane. Love you so much it drives me crazy sometimes.”

“Aaw,” she said in proper girly style, as she reached up to kiss him.

As they started to make out, she was pleased he wouldn’t see the tears that formed in her eyes. She was over-joyed to hear how much he cared for her, and at the same felt terrible knowing that the cheating he’d accused her of was so very real. Still, she couldn’t bear to tell him about that yet. One day he was going to have to find out, but for tonight she just wanted to enjoy this, his arms around her, his lips on hers. He loved her, and as much as she always thought she was immune to such an emotion, Lilly loved Eli Navarro too, this she told him softly, almost inaudibly as they lay down together on his bed, wishing the rest of the world away for a while.

* * *

Veronica Mars, as she was now to be known, could not shift the smile from her face as she lay in the arms of her boyfriend, both their bodies humming and tingling with feelings inexperienced up to now. It had been a long time happening, but Veronica was glad that she had chosen today to be with Logan. It was the right time, it felt better than perfect, as they’d made love in the bed that had been her own within his home these past two weeks.

There were complications in her life that Veronica had to face but more so now than ever she felt capable of it, with Logan at her side. Right now, lying here beside him, she felt she could conquer the world. He helped her find the strength she knew she had but sometimes forgot how to find, and she wondered if he could possibly have any idea how much she loved him.

“Hey,” Logan caught her attention, tilting her head up with his fingers under her chin. “You okay?” he checked, knowing that as big a deal as this might be for him, it was much bigger for her.

“I’m good,” she promised him with a smile. “Better than good,” she told him, as she kissed his lips.

“Right there with you,” he assured her, stroking her hair off her face. “I love you, Veronica.”

“I know,” she nodded. “And I love you too,” she said, feeling suddenly and oddly shy despite what had just happened between them. “So that’s what that’s like, huh?” she said, feeling stupid for blushing but knowing she was doing it anyway.

“Pretty much,” he agreed trying to suppress a smirk as he propped himself up on his elbow and just gazed at the girl he was so head-over-heels for. “Everything you dreamed of?” he asked, not sure what answer he expected or wanted, but none the less thrilled by her reaction.

“Yes, you really are.” She grinned as she moved to kiss him again, knowing that staying here like this, repeating their pleasure was in no way going to help her packing and moving out plan, but not caring right now.

For a while longer Veronica planned to be young and in love, rest of the world be damned. Logan did not seem to disagree with that plan at all as he kissed her until she was breathless and the couple proved once again just how much they loved each other.


	34. Epilogue

There was laughter aplenty as six smiling teens came tumbling out of the movie theatre, talking and joking, clearly enjoying the summer break. Six short months ago things hadn’t been quite so joyous, as trials and tribulations were faced from all sides. The blonde at the centre of the group had perhaps been through the most confusion and hardship, discovering that the family she had been brought up with were not in fact connected to her by blood at all. Still, she had her friends, those that surrounded her now, and her boyfriend in particular, who’s arm around her shoulders never failed to make her feel comfortable and happy.

“So, where do you wanna go now?” Logan asked her and the rest of their friends as they stood around in an impromptu circle on the pavement.

“I could eat,” Duncan suggested as Meg lifted her head off his shoulder to nod in agreement. “Anybody have a preference to where we go?”

“You’re going to say pizza parlour, aren’t you?” Mac smirked up at Dick who grinned widely.

“Dude, its like you can read my mind or something,” he declared. “I love that,” he told her as he kissed her deeply.

“Geez, I know you’re hungry, guys, but don’t eat each other,” Logan suggested, earning a playful punch in the arm from his friend, even as he continued to kiss his woman.

The sound of a motorcycle engine caught the attention of the group and all turned to see the machine in question pulling up to the kerb, carrying a fourth couple that usually completed their set.

“Hey, Veronica Mars.” Lilly grinned as she pulled off her helmet, setting her long blonde hair free, as Weevil propped up the bike and greeted his kind-of-friends with a single nod of his head.

“Hey, Lil,” Veronica greeted her friend, rolling her eyes at the use of the full name she was still getting used to, and yet Lilly loved to use it any chance she got. “You have fun this weekend?”

“I’d give you the details, V, but I don’t wanna make you blush.” Weevil smirked, confirming that it really had a been a dirty weekend away for the couple whose relationship had suffered some lately.

The truth about Lilly’s affair with Aaron hadn’t come out quite as soon as it should. Veronica was sure if Lilly had confessed at the time she would have been more easily forgiven, but the older girl had insisted she knew better. She had only told Eli all when she felt she had to, when news of Aaron Echolls other affairs began to leak into the press. The good thing to come out of the press interest in their lives was that the Echolls were soon free to rid their lives of the man whose name they bore. Logan and Lynn were much happier since she started looking into a divorce, a much easier task than it ever had been before as Aaron’s cheating was proved to be very real and multiple.

This specific weekend marked Lilly and Weevil’s one year anniversary since their first ‘date’ if such a word could be used for the impromptu make out session that started the whole affair! Their weekend away seemed to have been the tonic they needed to complete the patching up process of a relationship that deep down Veronica believed was based on love, much like she and Logan had, as well as Duncan and Meg, and Mac and Dick.

“We were going for pizza,” Duncan told his sister. “You guys want in?”

“What do you say, babe?” Lilly asked her boyfriend as she leant her body on his back and hugged him tight.

“I say you gave me an appetite this weekend, chica,” he told her. “So yeah, let’s go eat,” he agreed, reminding her to put her helmet back on as he revved the engine, and yelled to the rest of the group that they’d meet them at Cho’s pizza in a few.

As the other three couples followed on down the street, talking and kissing, Veronica just couldn’t shift the grin off her face. Logan soon noticed as he looked down at her beneath his arm and found the look infectious.

“What’s with you today?” He smiled. “I mean, I’m not complaining, but I haven’t seen you quite so... I don’t know, overly happy, in a while?” he said, hoping his question wouldn’t spoil the mood he was so glad to find she was in.

“I don’t know.” Veronica shrugged her shoulders. “Everything just seems pretty good right now. We had fun at the movie-”

“We didn’t see much of the movie,” Logan reminded her, as he leaned in close and kissed the top of her head.

“That’s not the point,” she told him as she moved to meet his lips with her own for a brief kiss. “We had fun. So far this summer has been all about the fun, with you, and the guys, and my dad.” She smiled. “Y’know I thought it’d feel weird calling him that,” she considered as she thought of Sheriff Mars. “I thought it’d be even weirder moving in with him, but I’m glad I didn’t wait too long to do it. I finally feel like I belong,” she said, with a genuine smile as Logan hugged her close.

“I knew I belonged in Neptune from the second I saw you,” he told her, making her look at him strangely.

“Even when I was telling you to go drown yourself or something?” she checked.

“Especially then.” He smirked. “I knew you were only acting that way because you couldn’t control your want for me,” he joked, making her laugh once again, a beautiful sound to her boyfriend’s ears, who was as happy as she was in this moment, knowing they belonged together and that was one thing that would never change.


End file.
